“Too much of anything is bad, but too much whisky is just enough,” Mark Twain almost said.

The only thing Irma Rombauer changed when she paraphrased (if one is kind) or misquoted (if one is not) Mark Twain in her classic American cookbook, “The Joy of Cooking,” is Twain’s stipulation requiring spirits be of high quality. As Rombauer was channeling Twain in the intro to her recipe for Christmas’s merriest libation — eggnog — she clearly saw no need to waste good spirits on the lowly task of sanitizing raw eggs.

Rombauer’s recipe for eggnog in “The Joy of Cooking” is a spectacular thing. A dozen eggs, quarts of heavy cream, and copious amounts of hard liquor make for a holiday beverage that is not for the faint of heart — including, but not limited to, the actual faint of heart, the arterially challenged.

If anything though, the liberal liquoring of her eggnog thins it quite a bit and reduces the obnoxiousness of the eggs, somehow making it go down easier than the thick, non-alcoholic sludge marketed commercially as eggnog.

And if you think you can take a shortcut and just spike that mess at the grocery store with a little (or a lot) of booze, you are wrong. This is a case where the Barefoot Contessa will not tell you that store-bought is fine.

It will still be thick and nasty, but now the booze will burn your throat, and as soon as you swallow it, you will remember all those high school warnings of the horrors that await anyone careless enough to mix booze with milk. Don’t do that. Nobody needs to be that desperate to make merry.

But eggnog put together the way Rombauer advises, and it is quite a process — separating the eggs, whipping the whites, adding the booze in increments with judicious aging along the way — the booze and the eggs and cream somehow tame and enhance each other, rather than fight in the glass and on the way down your gullet.

Eggnog goes back a long way. Opinions vary about how far, but possets, an ale punch with eggs and figs, goes back to the 13th century, and by the 17th century, wine and milk punches were a regular thing among the upper classes in Europe. The scarcity and high price of sherry and cream kept the concoction away from the lower classes, but American colonists solved the problem by utilizing rum from the Caribbean instead of more expensive European wines and spirits. In the American South, colonists stopped importing anything at all, and started making their eggnog with good old American whiskey.

George Washington was a big fan of eggnog, and his recipe is strikingly similar to Bombauer’s. Washington solved the problem of which liquor to use by using them all. Sherry from Europe, rum from Jamaica and rye whiskey, like as not made right there at Mount Vernon, all went into his signature concoction that many guests in his home were afraid to drink, according to contemporary accounts.

Who knows if they were put off by the high proof of his merry-making libation, or by the fact that a heavily egg-and-cream-based concoction was “let sit in a cool place for several days” before drinking. Bear in mind that the cool place it was sitting was not a refrigerator, as refrigeration had not been invented in the 1700s.

Not only was there no refrigeration in the colonial era, there was no electricity at all, so without supplemental electric light, hens would have stopped laying when the days grew short, so all Christmas eggnog was made with eggs that would have long since reached their sell-by date if they hadn’t been sanitized with copious amounts of hooch.

Since alcohol requires time to work its pathogen-destroying magic, paradoxically, the older the eggnog was, the safer it was to drink. The Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology at Rockefeller University has become infamous for its six-week refrigerator-aged eggnog that it’s been serving up at faculty holiday parties for over 60 years now, according to a 2013 article in Forbes. The heirloom recipe comes from family archives of Dr. Rebecca Lancefield, a noted microbiologist who was born in 1895.

The Lancefield recipe has become the gold standard for aged eggnog recipes that will not make you spend your holiday alternating between the toilet and being curled up in a fetal position in front of the toilet, vomiting and cramping. There are apocryphal stories of the Lancefield eggnog remaining safe to drink for a year, but those stories are somewhat dubious as there is no reason to believe something so delicious would not get scarfed down long before a year had passed.

So eggnog is not spiked, as some folks would have you believe. A boozy condition is its natural state, and the alcohol-free versions are an historical anachronism. But it’s getting a little close to Christmas for demon rum to do its work this year, so maybe it’s best to buy some pasteurized eggs to toast baby Jesus’s birth this year.

George Washington’s Christmas Eggnog

This recipe leaves something to be desired, as it is somewhat vague on quantities of some ingredients, but it has the advantage of being in George Washington’s own words, advising us to “taste frequently,” which is always good advice in the kitchen.

“One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, ½ pint rye whiskey, ½ pint Jamaica rum, ¼ pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of 12 eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.”

“The Joy Of Cooking” Eggnog

This recipe makes a lot, and that’s part of its charm. But you can use some for gifts by filling pint or quart Mason jars with the finished nog. For a deluxe presentation, buy some whole nutmegs and use some netting to affix a few to the jar along with a tiny grater. Tie the netting up in a big bow.

There is some leeway given in the recipe to determine how potent you want your eggnog to be. It can range from merely strong to very strong. There is also a choice of liquors. Use what you like, but as George Washington discovered, a wide variety is nice. The Grand Marnier in the recipe was peach brandy in earlier editions of the book. If Grand Marnier is a little tough on your budget, you can do what less well off eggnog fanciers have always done and improvise. Triple sec is also an orange liqueur, and it’s cheap. Not as good, but cheap.

2 cups dark rum, brandy, bourbon or rye

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl until light in color. Gradually beat in the sugar and slowly add the rum, beating constantly. Let stand, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour to dispel the eggy taste. Add the brandy or cognac, Grand Marnier, and heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold them lightly into the other ingredients. Serve sprinkled with the grated nutmeg.

Dr. Rebecca Lancefield’s Eggnog

Beat eggs, add bourbon and rum slowly, stirring to prevent precipitation of egg proteins. Beat heavy cream separately until it peaks and add to the egg/bourbon/rum mix. Add the light cream with stirring. Add the sugar to taste with mixing (1 pound/batch), then add nutmeg to taste. Leave standing at least overnight with lid slightly ajar in refrigerator. Serve after 2-3 weeks in the cold.

Reach Bill Colvard at 336-415-4699.

Reach Bill Colvard at 336-415-4699.

Underwater photo finish at ACC

Jones’ blood drive surpasses goal

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

The Christmas Hummingbird – Davis Bunn

No Plan B – Lee Child

Thief of Fate – Jude Deveraux

No Strangers Here – Carlene O’Connor

Treasure State – C.J. Box

The Warmth of Sunshine – Kelly Irvin

The Last Way Home – Liz Johnson

Under the Starry Skies – Tracie Peterson

The School of Mirrors – Eva Stachniak

The Vanishing At Loxby Manor – Abigail Wilson

River of the Gods – Candice MIllard

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

The Gentle Hearts Book Club meets Mondays at 10 a.m.. The club focuses on Christian romance, coffee and maybe a facial. This month’s book is Burning Sky by Lori Benton.

STEAMed Up Tuesdays from 4 — 5 p.m. Interactive fund and learning for youth in grades 4 through 6.

Hooked – Join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32-hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. For more details visit https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

Winter Care for Birds Workshop on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. presented by Master Gardener Robin Portis. We’ll learn how to care for these important pollinators during the cold winter months. The workshop is free but registration is required. Stop by the front desk or call 336-789-5108 to secure a spot.

Alzheimer’s Education, Nov. 10, 2 p.m. — Effective Communication Strategies. Learn how to effectively communicate with your loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

A free writing workshop, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m., hosted by local author, Jane Tesh. You may bring a one page sample of your own writing, if you would like to have Jane look over it. Call 336-789-5108 or stop by the library to register.

The Mount Airy Public Library will be closed Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day.

Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library Fall Book Sale – Nov. 16 – Nov. 19, and Nov. 20. 16, 17, 18, 19 and Nov. 21. Browse through a selection of books, movies and vinyl. Hours: Wednesday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Author Leah Weiss, who has written two books set in North Carolina — “If the Creek Don’t Rise” and “All the Little Hopes,”, will be visiting the library on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.

Author Michael A. Almond, who has written one book that is set in North Carolina, “The Tannery,” will visit the library on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

The Faith Community of the Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church of Mount Airy recently concluded the 13th year of the 31 Days of Devotion to the Most Holy Rosary and Novena Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, over four consecutive Wednesdays in October.

By tradition, October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. “One of the best known of all Catholic devotions, including the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7,” church officials said of the event. “Introduced by Pope Saint Pius V (1504-1572) in the year 1571, to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571. The Holy Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces of all prayers and touches most the Heart of God.“

Mother Nature had other pressing plans that caused a performance of The Wood Family Tradition last month to be cancelled due to Hurricane Ian. Even though the Atlantic Hurricane season does not wrap until the end of November, Surry County residents are ready to try again.

Coming up this Friday the Dobson Tourism Development Authority and the Surry County TDA presents a rescheduled concert from Sept. 30 featuring the Wood Family Tradition.

The tourism authority’s Travis Frye said he got off the phone with Mother Nature and was told, “The weather looks perfect, and we will have delicious food trucks including Shikora Express Japanese Grill, Mermaids On The Go, BJs Fry Shack, and Station 1978 Firehouse Peanuts.”

He reminds everyone that this is a free concert that takes place at the Surry County Farmers Market, 903 E. Atkins Street, Dobson. Organizers say take a lawn chair and the family out to this event.

Food Trucks will be set up and ready to serve by 6 p.m. with music to follow from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Special thanks to have been offered by Frye to sponsors who have supported both the Dobson & Surry County TDA throughout this series: Surry Communications, Frontier Natural Gas Company, and Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation. Additional support from WPAQ 740 AM 106.7 FM The Voice of the Blue Ridge, The Mount Airy News, and Our State magazine.

A lot of folks around these parts are already familiar with the Wood Family Tradition. Put all the years of picking, grinning, singing, and entertaining it a whopping 150+ years of experience for the Wood family.

The Wood family says that family values, legacy, faith, and humor are just a few things that Wood Family Tradition bring to the stage. Music, however, is nothing new to this family.

Stemming from the legacy of hard driving, traditional, and original bluegrass music that the legendary banjoist/singer/songwriter Al Wood began in the ’60s, Mike, Bobby, Jason, and Brian were raised on a strict diet of bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music.

Members of Wood Family Tradition are Mike Wood on guitar and vocals, Bobby Wood on bass and vocals, Jason Wood on mandolin and vocals, Mackenzie Wood on vocals, and Brian Aldridge on the banjo and vocals.

Halloween and frost on the pumpkin

The season of Halloween is only two days from now. The autumn air has that certain nip that is traditional as Halloween draws near. We have had several frosts to kick off Halloween and the autumn lawn has a carpet of leaves on it. The green of the lawn is beginning to have a brownish tint highlighting it. Soon we will have the first killing frost and some hard freezes. We have had several scattered frosts but none that are considered “killing frosts.” The frosts that knock out the warm weather garden usually occur in mid-November. We are getting scattered frost that sweetens the collards and a dusting on the rooftops. It will not harm the pumpkins and there are plenty of them this year.

Bringing in the late tomato harvest

Before a killing frost arrives gather all the green tomatoes from the vines and wrap them in sheets of newspapers and place them in box lids or shallow boxes and store them in a warm dry area and cover with whole newspaper sections. Check them once a week for ripeness. If you have a lot of room in the basement you can leave green tomatoes on the vines and hang them on the joists in the basement ceiling to ripen there. Check them often and harvest them as they ripen.

Celebrate Halloween by placing a pumpkin crisp on the table for the night of Halloween. This crunchy dessert has simple ingredients and contains plenty of pumpkin. You will need two cups of fresh or canned pumpkin, one large can of evaporated milk, one cup sugar, half cup light brown sugar, one tablespoon McCormick pumpkin spices, one tablespoon vanilla extract, two sticks light margarine, three beaten eggs, one box yellow cake mix, half cup chopped pecans, one teaspoon orange extract. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with Crisco Shortening and then flour the pan. Line the pan with a sheet of waxed paper. Spray the waxed paper with Pam baking spray. Mix the pumpkin, white sugar, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spices, vanilla extract, orange extract and beaten eggs. Mix all these ingredients together. Spread the box of cake mix over the pumpkin mixture and spread it out to cover the pumpkin. Sprinkle the pecans and golden raisins over the dry cake mix. Drizzle the two sticks of melted margarine over the dry cake mix. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Cool the cake completely. Turn cake from pan onto a cookie sheet or a cake board. The layer of pecans and raisins becomes the bottom crust. Frost the crisp with this topping: one eight ounce box of cream cheese, two cups of 1ox powdered sugar, one cup of Cool Whip, one teaspoon vanilla extract.

A bowl of witches brew

You can make this unusual brew for a harvest festival or Halloween carnival. It is tasty and unusual because of its purple color and taste. Make this punch in a large pot or a canner and serve it from a punch bowl. For this recipe, mix three envelopes of Crystal Light Concord grape powdered drink mix, one bottle Welch’s grape juice, one 46 ounce can pineapple juice, one 46 ounce can of water. Two 2-liter bottles of Fanta grape soda, two 2-liter bottles of Sprite (regular or diet). To serve the brew, mix half the punch base mixed with half Fanta and half Sprite. Use this formula to prepare the brew as it is replenished. Make an ice ring or two the night before by mixing two quarts of water in a pitcher and pouring it into a tube pan and freezing overnight. Run a little warm water over bottom of tube pan to loosen the ice ring from the pan. You can also freeze a bottle of grape Fanta to make ice rings. If you would like a clear ice ring, use bottles of Sprite.

Chicken stew on an October night

Chicken stew does not have to be prepared in a black iron pot to be enjoyed. You can make it for your household in an eight-quart pot. A great chicken stew can be prepared in your kitchen. You will need six or eight bone-in chicken breasts boiled until tender. Bone-in breasts are better because it makes a broth for the stew. When the chicken is done, remove the skin and bones; return the broth and chicken to the pot, and add a little more water to the broth and boil until meat begins to shred (this causes chicken to be in every bite of the stew.) When the chicken reaches this stage, add four sticks of light margarine and allow it to simmer for four or five minutes. Add two cans of evaporated milk and six cups of Vitamin D whole milk (nothing low-fat here!). Simmer for four or five minutes on medium low heat. Add two cans of chicken gravy and simmer four or five minutes. Add one teaspoon pepper, two teaspoons of salt, two teaspoons of McCormick poultry seasoning. Taste and add more of these seasonings to stew if desired. Keep the heat on medium low and mix a glass of cold water with four or five teaspoons of corn starch and stir until it is milky. Add a little at a time until stew reaches the thickness you are satisfied with. If stew is too thick add milk or water.

Pansies are flowers with a personality

Colorful jewels of the porch and deck during autumn and winter months are the pansies that have faces that resemble the face of a poodle. Pansies are tough and winter hardy. Along with their colorful flowers they feature dark evergreen foliage that enhances their flowers. They are tough enough to produce flowers when snow is on the ground. Pansy plants are available now and all the months of autumn and winter. They will produce flowers and foliage until early spring. They come in colors of burgundy, purple, lavender, pink, white, bronze and tan. They can be planted in rows, beds, pots and containers. Use Flower-Tone organic flower food, pansy booster and peat moss mixed with potting medium to get pansies on their way to a long and colorful autumn and winter and brighten winter bushes.

Still time to plant spring bulbs

There is still plenty of time to set out the spring bulbs of jonquil, hyacinth, crocus, daffodil, narcissus, tulips and snowdrops. They can be set out from now until the ground freezes. Place the bulbs root down in a furrow or hole about six to eight inches deep. Place a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow or hole. Place bulbs root-side down and apply another layer of peat moss. Place a layer of Bulb Booster or bone meal on the peat moss and cover with of top soil and potting medium. Before the ground freezes cover the row or bed with a layer of crushed leaves. Water lightly once each week.

Setting out ornamental kale and cabbage

Ornamental cabbage and kale can add color to the winter porch in the dead of winter and all they need is a little layer of protection from the extremes of winter freezes. Keep a couple of towels handy and cover the cabbage and kale at night to keep them from freezing. Keep containers of cabbage near the rear of the porch. Ornamental cabbage come in colors of purple, pink, cream, lavender mint green and yellow. You can plant them in containers that summer annuals were growing in. Feed with Flower-Tone organic flower food each month and lightly water weekly.

Thunder at this time of the year is not that unusual, most of the time when thunder is heard in late autumn, it is short-lived and not severe. The humidity is low and the sound of thunder is caused by instability in the air. During the final days of hurricane season, we may have some thunder and lightning with these systems.

“A cocky situation.” Customer: “Do you have any cockroaches?” Sporting goods store owner: “Yes, I sell them to fishermen.” Customer: “I would like to purchase 20,000 of them.” Store owner:”What do you want with 20,000 cockroaches?” Customer: “I’m moving tomorrow and my lease says I must leave the condo in the condition it was in when I moved there.”

“A full tank citizen.” Citizen: “Hello, is this the city gas works?” Mayor: “No, this is the mayor’s office.” Citizen: “I didn’t miss it by much, did I?”

“Nay, Nay!” “About the only thing right you get from the horse’s mouth is his laugh!”

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Voice of Fear – Heather Graham

The Boys From Biloxi – John Grisham

The Christmas Spirit – Debbie Macomber

Notable Native People – Adrienne Keene

Revolution in Our Time – Kekla Magoon

Author Visit – November 5th at 2:00 PM

Come out and meet author Leah Weiss. She has written two books set in North Carolina. If the Creek Don’t Rise and All the Little Hopes.

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

The Gentle Hearts Book Club meets Mondays at 10 a.m.. The club focuses on Christian romance, coffee and maybe a facial. This month’s book is Burning Sky by Lori Benton.

STEAMed Up Tuesdays from 4 — 5 p.m. Interactive fund and learning for youth in grades 4 through 6.

Hooked – Join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook. This month’s book is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32-hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. For more details visit https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

Winter Care for Birds Workshop on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. presented by Master Gardener Robin Portis. We’ll learn how to care for these important pollinators during the cold winter months. The workshop is free but registration is required. Stop by the front desk or call 336-789-5108 to secure a spot.

Alzheimer’s Education, Nov. 10, 2 p.m. — Effective Communication Strategies. Learn how to effectively communicate with your loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

A free writing workshop, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m., hosted by local author, Jane Tesh. You may bring a one page sample of your own writing, if you would like to have Jane look over it. Call 336-789-5108 or stop by the library to register.

Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library Fall Book Sale – Nov. 16 – Nov. 19, and Nov. 20. 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and Nov. 21. Come browse through our selection of books, movies and vinyl. Hours: Wednesday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Author Leah Weiss, who has written two books set in North Carolina — “If the Creek Don’t Rise” and “All the Little Hopes,”, will be visiting the library on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.

Author Michael A. Almond, who has written one book that is set in North Carolina, “The Tannery,” will visit the library on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

In II Chronicles 7:13-22, we see a list of requirements God gave to His people Israel; for Him to hear their prayers, forgive their sin, and bring them healing as a nation. These conditions for His help, and their reviving was dependent upon God’s people returning in obedience to God, their sovereign King.

I believe that if we, the people of God living here on this earth today, will hear and obey this same list of requirements; that we too can enjoy personal, community, and national revival. But will we hear and obey?

I believe that our God will chasten and correct us to the point of wanting to return to Him, if we don’t freely choose to. In other words, I believe He’ll make us want to fully return to Him; and want to let go of this corrupt old world. Let’s read, and heed the Holy Scriptures. “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence (plague or disease) among My people; 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.”

We’ll come back to the last verse shortly. God will have His way with His bride, the church. Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us, “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

It’s evident and obvious that the church isn’t close to this virtuous character, and of chaste behavior toward her Lord right now. But, God will chasten, correct, and cleanse us; in order to perfect us; for our own good, and for His good pleasure.

You may ask, “How will God correct us?” Has anyone been observing the current events around our country, and around the globe lately? Our Scripture portion gave evidence of His correction through drought, crop failure, destroyed harvest, and plagues or disease.

Consider also these Scriptures dealing with the Lord using hurricanes (tempest), floods, tornadoes (whirlwind), earthquakes, wildfires, stormy wind, and hail, to turn us again to Him. (Job 37:9-13, 38:22-23, Psalm 46:1-3, 83:15-16, 148:8, Amos 4:6-9). And how about the C-virus or any of its variants? Hebrews 12:11-13 says, “Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: none the less, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness…Therefore…make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” Hosea 6:1-2, “ 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. After two days will He revive us.”

Doesn’t it seem odd that God would say, “My people, which are called by My name” need to “turn from their wicked ways.” This isn’t just about the Jews and the Old Testament. It applies also to so many professing New Testament Christians since the early days of the church.

Consider the letter to believers in James 4:8-9, “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” And again, Jesus’ strong messages of warning and call to repentance to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2–3. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-24, ”No man can serve two masters…Ye cannot serve God and mammon (the wealth of this world).”

God will not allow us to straddle this fence. We must choose, Him or the world. I John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (To try to have both is spiritual adultery) And the world passes away, and the lusts there of; but he that does the will of God abides forever.”

Please read all this appeal to the church in II Corinthians 6:14-7:1, “…what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? … And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them; and I will walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

There are many idols in our times now, even as there were in those days. We even call them by that name: sports idols, movie, TV and music idols… Anything and anyone who receives our affections or adoration in competition with, or in place of the one true God is a false god; is an idol. Romans 12:1-2 pleads with us to “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God…And be not conformed to this world (pressed and shaped to it’s mold): but be transformed” (by God). With His indwelling Spirit, we have full access to this beautiful change in character! The answer is to be in Christ. (II Cor. 5:17). The motive is our love for Him, Who is to be chosen above all else.

By our humbling ourselves, and praying, and seeking God’s face, and turning from the ways that God calls wicked, He then replies, “Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place” (II Chronicles 7:15). Psalm 84:1-13, …”Turn us, O God of our salvation… Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?”

Nolan Richard Haynes recently earned his Eagle Scout rank by constructing a Bell Memorial at Highland Park Baptist Church. The brick structure holds the original church bell with brick from the original sanctuary incorporated in the structure.

Nolan sold time capsules for his fundraiser; the capsules will be opened at the new sanctuary’s 100th anniversary in 2094. The capsules will be placed inside the memorial during the church’s homecoming on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Nolan earned his Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 595 and now serves as an assistant scout master with Boy Scout Troop 556. He is the son of Rick and Lisa Haynes and a 2022 graduate of Mount Airy High School.

Nolan was honored to be able to contribute and provide this service for his home church. He would like to thank his fellow scouts, leaders, friends, and his church family for their help, support, and contributions.

Evenings of Indian summer bring sounds and smells

With chimneys belching the smell of oak logs and wet leaves from the maples emitting their autumn aroma, the low sounds of the crickets at twilight and the crows making their last calls of the day, as the sun goes lower on the horizon, there is a cool nip in the autumn air. These are all the signatures of the beauty, color, splendor and majesty of autumn.

Season of fall fests, harvest festivals and chicken stews

The old fashioned cake walks with prizes of homemade cakes, fish ponds, bingo games, costume contests, pumpkin decorating, door prizes, hot dogs, chicken stew and hayrides and haunted houses — it’s the season for that kind of fun, topped off with trick or treating for the kids. Keep the porch light on to signal that trick or treaters and parents are welcome at your home. Have plenty of wrapped treats. Make it a memorable time for kids, parents and grandparents.

Getting the Christmas cactus inside for the winter

As we near the final days of October, the time is here to move the Christmas cactus, panda and asparagus ferns inside the house to spend winter in a semi-sunny room. The secret of Christmas cactus blooms in late November is the time they spend outside all spring, summer and early autumn. Before moving these plants inside trim them back, add some extra potting medium to fill the containers and add some Flower-Tone organic flower food. Use drip trays under containers to keep water off the floors and carpet. water lightly once a week.

Trimming evergreens as October comes to an end

Late October and early November is the time to trim and shape evergreens and also the best time to plant evergreens. They will not be dried out by the sun and will have a winter of snow and moisture to give them a great start. Every home needs some greenery in the form of evergreens. With the soon-approaching season of Christmas decorating, this is the opportune time to trim, shape, and plant evergreens.

Christmas cactus will soon be available

November will soon be here and the containers of Christmas cactus will be showing up in supermarkets, hardwares, florists, Home Depots, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Ace Hardware and nurseries. You can choose from red, white, pink, and coral. Most will have blooms on them so you can select the color you prefer. After they finish their bloom cycle, you will need to transplant the cactus into a larger container. Just purchase a larger container and a bag of Miracle-Gro cactus and potting medium and transplant the cactus into the larger container. You can also root Christmas cactus by placing a large sprig of foliage and using a clear plastic soft drink bottle (clear) and place the piece of foliage in the bottle of water and place in a semi-sunny location. When it develops a root system, transplant it into a medium container filled with cactus medium. Use cactus medium for healthier growth.

Making a macaroni and cheese salad

Macaroni and cheese salad is a great treat on the week of Halloween. The orange cheddar cheese and Thousand Island dressing make it a great table topper for the dining room. For this salad, you will need two cups of cooked elbow macaroni (drained), two cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, one cup Mount Olive sweet pickle relish, one two ounce jar diced pimentos (drained), six boiled eggs (diced) one cup diced onions, half cup olives, one teaspoon apple cider vinegar, three teaspoons thousand island dressing, one teaspoon catsup, half cup mayonnaise; half teaspoon pepper, one half teaspoon salt. Mix the cooked macaroni, cheddar cheese, diced eggs, pimentos, pickle relish chopped onions, olives and stir all of them together. Blend mayonnaise, vinegar, thousand island dressing, salt, pepper, catsup. Mix the dressing with the salad ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator several hours before serving.

Visiting Halloween candy treat aisles

Plenty of trick or treat items and candy dish fillers are featured at the supermarkets and other stores. Most of them have decorated displays. Make sure that all the treats you purchase are wrapped varieties for the candy dish. You can choose from Hershey’s miniatures, harvest M&Ms, York peppermint patties, Snickers, Hershey’s Autumn Kisses, Milky Way and Three Musketeers bars plus ‘creme pumpkins and Reese’s pieces. These are traditional Halloween favorites.

Pumpkin pie spice: a great seasoning mixture

All the spices for a pumpkin pie combined in one tin container is what McCormick pumpkin pie spices is all about. This product certainly makes it easier to prepare a pie without opening five or six containers of spice and doing all that measuring. When preparing pumpkin pies, apple pies and turkey dressing or Italian spaghetti, McCormick makes spices like Poultry Seasoning for dressing and fried chicken, Italian seasoning for spaghetti and other Italian dishes. Apple pie spices for apple pies and dumplings as well as pumpkin pie seasoning and sweet potato pies and casseroles.

Preserving autumn leaves for autumn displays

To preserve autumn leaves in all their color and glory, use a small can of bee’s wax and melt it in a small pan and dip each leaf in the wax; remove and place on a paper towel to dry. They can be used on the coffee table or dining room table or the mantel for Halloween and harvest decorations.

A pumpkin patch on the dining room table

From the days before Halloween and into the month of November, you can decorate the center of the dining room table with your own pumpkin patch. All you need are several Jack-be-Little pumpkins that cost a little more than a dollar each and a pound bag of Brach’s creme pumpkins and a few colorful autumn leaves dipped in bee’s wax and dried. Place the Jack-be-Littles around the leaves and spread creme pumpkins around the the display. Keep refilling the cream pumpkins as they are eaten.

Making your Jack o’ lantern spicy

As trick or treaters and parents come to your home, welcome them with a scent of pumpkin pie. All you need to do is apply two teaspoons of McCormick pumpkin pie spices to the inside walls of the jack o’ lantern, light the candle and replace the lid on the lantern. The heat from the candle will spread the aroma of the spices for a pumpkin pie perfume.

Plastic grocery bags and thick cardboard

These two items make great covers for the perennials and annuals on the front porch to thrive during winter extremes without much labor involved. Instead of cloths and towels, you can use insulated covers made from cardboard and plastic grocery bags to cover the plants each night and remove them the next day when temperatures rise. To construct these covers, glue several pieces of cardboard together measured to fit the tops of the pots and containers. Use scotch tape to tape five plastic grocery bags together and glue to the pieces of card board. The cardboard and combined plastic bags will provide insulation for the plants. Construct one for every plant you want to protect from freezing temperatures, The weight of the cardboard will protect from winter winds and the plastic bags will provide insulation. Remove each day so plants can benefit from the winter sun, but replace at night when temperatures drop.

Frost on pumpkin and Halloween both here

Halloween is almost here and frost has visited the pumpkins a few times. There have been a few frosts in the garden plot and the lawn shows some signs of tan and brown. Many leaves have left the trees and the furnace is flexing its muscles. The crisp autumn air has a feel of Halloween and we are sure the kids and grand kids are ready for a night of trick or treating. Make it a fun night for them by leaving your porch light on to welcome them. By the way, share a treat with these caring parents also.

All Saints Day will be on Tuesday

All Saints Day is celebrated on the day after Halloween and All Saints day is also known as “Hallowmass” In New England, the Swiss immigrants celebrated the whole week after All Saints Day as All Saints Rest and a time after the harvest to rest, relax, and reflect. Sounds like a quality way to live a long life.

“Wishful Thinking.” Wife: “You’re always wishing for something you haven’t got.” Husband: “What else is there to ask for?”

“Fashionable?” Husband: “I find your new evening gown rather confusing.” Wife: “Why do you think so?” Husband:”Well, are you inside trying to get out, or outside trying to get in?”

“Nappy Time” Doctor: “You say you have not been able to sleep well?” Patient: “I sleep fine during the night, but during my afternoon naps, I just can’t keep my eyes closed.”

Have you heard the saying, “if you don’t feel close to God anymore, guess who moved?” It’s always us: never Him. In general, I believe that much of the Church in our times today has lost her passion for Jesus; her love has gotten tepid, lukewarm.

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus charged the seven churches of that time, but also the symbolic churches of this present age. Jesus said, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm…I will spew thee out of My mouth, As many as I love, I rebuke, and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev.3:14-19). Jesus also said, “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place” (Rev.2:4-5).

I point out, with three fingers and a thumb pointing back at me, that many Christians have at times gotten their eyes off our Lord, and are looking more at this world and its substance. We too often forget that our Savior has saved us from, and called us out and away from this world. It’s our old nature and carnal flesh that has an appetite for its pleasures. So I remind you, our redeemer has purchased us from this bondage, and unto Himself. Our Lord has called us to love Him; not love this world. (Mark 12:30, I John 2:15-17) Here then is a call to God’s church to fix our gaze back upon Him. Bride of Christ, keep your spiritual eyes of adoration upon the One Who is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16), Our “First love,” He who is worthy of our enthusiastic affection, and highest most loyal love.

II Chronicles 7:13-22, …”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.”

Today we will study the third requirement God gives to you and I, to “Seek ye My face.” Our answer should be like David’s reply in Psalm 27:8, “When Thou hast said, seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” Just how do we seek God’s face? Well, how would you seek anyone’s face you love? You would search for them; you’d try to get in close proximity to them; you would set your vision in their direction and lock your eyes on them. Yes, God is invisible to us, but spiritually speaking, we can meet face to face; we can see His beauty. What I’m talking about is love; desire for our Beloved.

Psalm 42:1-2, “As the hart (deer) pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 63:6-8, “…My soul follows hard after Thee.” Hebrews 11:6 tells us, He rewards them that diligently seek Him. Diligently means to work hard at, to apply effort, to give much attention to. The opposite of our seeking the things of this world is seeking Him. Rather than our divided heart trying to split our love between this world and the Lord, our Lord wants to be sought after as the love of our life. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart”. It will take our time and our attention, it will take our “whole heart” to have this closeness with God, but there is the greatest reward for it! So, we make a choice. Let us now, for always choose Jesus.

In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus teaches us, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” He tells us not to set our affections on the temporal things of this world, but on the everlasting better things of Heaven: our home. We must remember often that we are just passing through this world. We are foreigners. We are pilgrims. Our home and our treasure is Jesus Christ. As the psalmist declared in Psalm 90:1, “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations”. In 91:9 he also calls the Lord his habitation, meaning where he lives. Jesus invites us to enter into Him and stay. John 10:9, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” , and John 15:4 & 11, “Abide in Me, and I in you… These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Only He can fulfill and complete us. The happiest ending our life story can have is intimate fellowship with Him, forever communing together as one.

Brothers and sisters, you who are in Christ; you who are called by His name, meditate long on this word of the Lord. Isaiah 57:15, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and lofty place, with him (or her) also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Lord Jesus, we turn our full gaze upon You, to seek Your face alone. Revive us unto Yourself again. Amen.

The North Carolina Heritage Awards are meant as a way to recognize those who have made significant contributions to preserving the state’s old time ways and its cultural history.

Perhaps it is fitting that among this year’s winners is a Mount Airy musician who learned from one of the all time greats of old-time music.

Champion fiddler Richard Bowman was among six artists from across the state who were named as Heritage Award winners earlier this week.

“It’s an honor to get an award like that,” Bowman said on Wednesday. He is primarily a fiddle player, although he plays the banjo and, at times, the autoharp.

Bowman credits some of the early giants of the old time music field for his interest and training, mentioned names such as Tommy Jarrell, Benton Flippen and Earnest East among those who led Bowman to a 49-year odyssey of learning and playing old time music.

Unlike those musicians of old days, Bowman said he did not come from a musical family.

“I lived out in the country, around a tobacco farm. My spare time was spent fishing and hunting.”

But one day nearly five decades ago, when Bowman was 20, he said his life changed.

“One Saturday I had the radio on, I heard Tommy Jarrell, it was on WPAQ, he was on The Merry-Go-Round,” Bowman recalled. The Merry-Go-Round is a weekly broadcast of old time and bluegrass music, usually broadcast live from the Historic Earle Theatre in Mount Airy.

“I had never been around that kind of music, but when I heard Tommy, that got my interest. I started following those people around when I was young,” he said of Flippen, Jarrell, East, and others such as Verlin Clifton. “I put myself where all those fiddler and banjo players were around Surry County.“

“It blossomed from there, I reckon,” he said of his musical life.

Flippen, one of those early influences on Bowman’s musical career, won the Heritage Award in 1990, as did East, the second year the North Carolina Arts Council presented the awards. Other musicians he cited as influences have also been honored with the recognition over the years.

Now, 49 years later, Bowman is proud to be recognized for keeping those old music traditions alive, and he is quick to say that, despite traveling widely and playing in multiple countries, music is not a job to him.

“I don’t look at it as being a career. I look at it as simply having fun and continuing the tradition of the old music. So far, I haven’t let the modern stuff influence the way I play, I still play the way I did when I started. The radio station has recordings of me and playing…35-40 years ago, I still sound the same. I’m as much as proud of that as I am of anything, that I’ve not let modern day stuff change the way I play.”

Despite not considering it a career, Bowman, a long-time member of the Slate Mountain Ramblers, has traveled extensively for his music. In addition to performing — and often winning competitions — at the Mount Airy Bluegrass and Old Time Convention, the Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Va., and other regional festivals, he has played at the Friends of American Old Time Music Festival in the United Kingdom, the Australian Performing Arts Festival; for a music festival at the University of California—Berkeley; and many other venues. And yes, several performances on WPAQ’s Merry-Go-Round are among his playing credits.

Bowman will be formally recognized with the Heritage Award at a ceremony and dinner in May at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh.

Others joining Bowman as recipients of the 2023 North Carolina Arts Council Heritage Award are muralist Cornelio Campos, white oak basket maker Neal Thomas, Southern gospel and bluegrass musician Rhonda Gouge, and Cherokee white-oak basket maker Louise Goings and her husband, the carver Butch Goings.

“North Carolina’s traditional arts continue to reflect a unique sense of place and lived experiences of our diverse people,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday in announcing the winners. “I congratulate the 2023 recipients of the Heritage Award for their individual artistic accomplishments and for their commitments to the cultural life of our communities small and large, rural and urban.”

“The Heritage Awards are an opportunity to celebrate exceptional people who keep and nurture traditional creative practice, but through them, we also honor the cultural contributions of their entire communities,” said Zoe van Buren, the Arts Council’s Folklife director. “With each new cohort, we can witness the changing seasons of our state’s dynamic cultural life, see traditions emerge and adapt, and learn how North Carolinians use the arts to know who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.”

“It is an honor for the North Carolina Arts Council to be able to recognize extraordinary artists from across our state and document their unique skill sets and cultural traditions that have been passed down through generations,” said Jeff Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. “This group of Heritage Award recipients tells a remarkable story of the diversity of North Carolina’s cultural heritage.”

Ticket prices to attend the May awards ceremony range from $18-$45, plus tax. Discounts for 10 or more tickets are available. Call 919-664-8302 or visit https://pinecone.org/event/2023-north-carolina-heritage-awards/ for more information.

The Surry Arts Players will be performing “Shrek The Musical JR.”, directed by Shelby Coleman, this weekend with performances set for area school children and youth as well as two public performances.

More than 750 area students will be bused to the Andy Griffith Playhouse to see the show on Friday, Oct. 21 and on Monday, Oct. 24. Public performances will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. in the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Tickets are on sale now.

Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in “Shrek The Musical JR.,” based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and Broadway musical. It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. “Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, ‘Shrek JR.’ is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family,” organizers of the production said in announcing the performances.

The production stars Walker York as Shrek, Django Burgess as Donkey, Cassidy Mills as Human Fiona, Jazylne Rodriguez as Ogre Fiona, Claire Youell as Young Fiona, Maggie Wallace as Teen Fiona, Matthew Chelgren as Lord Farquaad, Hannah Hiatt as Dragon, and Noah Wilkes as Pinocchio.

Additional cast includes; Gracie St. Angelo, Abbie Schuyler, Elise Spencer as storytellers, Kori Hawks as Captain of the Guard; Charlie Johnson, Israel Petree, Atticus Hawks as Guards; Charlotte Banfield, Ava Chrismon, Zinnia Burgess, Sierra Nichols as Knights, Mason St. Angelo as Gingerbread Man, Genevieve Quinn as Mama Ogre, Kinston Nichols as Papa Ogre, Anderson Holladay as Little Ogre, Tanner Price as Big Bad Wolf; Thomas Holladay, Lee Bodenhamer, Brooks Harold as 3 Little Pigs, Zoey Rumsey as Wicked Witch, Reese Cox as Peter Pan, Makenna Holladay as Ugly Duckling, Molly Easter as Mama Bear, Noah Petree as Papa Bear, Lorena Arroyo as Baby Bear, David Arispe as White Rabbit, Lydia Beck as Sugarplum Fairy, Brooke Nichols as Madhatter, Revonda Petree as Pied Piper, Carleigh Jo Mills as Bishop, Samuel Holladay as Dwarf, Talea Holladay as Rooster; Prim Hawks, Alayah Amos, Addison Etringer, Maddie Youell, Kenzie White, Noelle Snow, Morgan Cooke, Jenna Hawks as Duloc citizens; Anne Rachel Sheppard, Remi Devore, Jackie Delacruz, Ella Sheets, Kaitlyn Holladay, Sidney Petree, Paisley Montgomery, Charlotte Banfield as Rat Dancers.

Serving on the production crew is director/choreographer Shelby Coleman; Music Director Katelyn Gomez; costumers Khriste Petree and Amanda Barnard; set designer Shelby Coleman; set construction Jason Petree, Sparky Hawks, David Brown and Tyler Matanick; lighting designer Tyler Matanick; props master Cassidy Mills and Shelby Coleman; set painting Ava Thomason, Ella Pomeroy and Shelby Coleman; stage crew Patrick McDaniel, Callie Grant, Peyton Alexandria, Ella Pomeroy, Ava Thomason.

“Shrek The Musical JR.” is based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig. Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and Music by Jeanine Tesori.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for youth 12 and younger. Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

Set out spring flower bulbs

We are in the midst of Saint Luke’s Little Summer and will be until around Oct. 20. This period is usually a break in mid-October when we have mild, comfortable days and pleasant temperatures. Take advantage of these mild days to plant the spring flowering bulbs of jonquil, narcissus, daffodils hyacinths, crocus, tulips and snowdrops. They are available at hardwares, nurseries garden centers, Ace Hardware, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Hyacinths come in colors of red pink, white, purple, lavender, yellow and purple.

When you purchase bulbs, buy a bag of bone meal or bulb booster to give the new bulbs a great start. Add handfuls of peat moss to the bed of bulbs for moisture retention. Plant bulbs with the root side down. Add peat moss to bottom of bed before setting out the bulbs. Cover the bulbs and add a layer of crushed leaves for protection.

Enjoying crispy apples from The Big Apple

The crispiest and most mellow apples come from the New York state area. Many of these apple were probably propagated by Johnny Appleseed himself. The country’s best tasting apples are the varieties of York, McIntosh, Jonathan, Winesap, Jona-Mac, Jona-Gold and Granny Smith. New York has plenty of mountain air loamy soil, acres of cool springs and snowy winters. A combination of these natural benefits adds up to the nation’s best tasting apples.

The last shades of green

The lawn is now experiencing its last stages of green for the 2022 season. The lawn of mid-autumn seems to be singing a wintergreen song. You can feel the moistness and coolness in the blades of grass. Helen Keller, a blind teacher and poet said, “To me the lush carpet of pine needles on spongy grass is more welcome than the luxuriousness of a Persian rug.” What wonderful words from this American teacher, poet and writer; blind but her touch compensated for her eyes. Thank God for beauty that cannot only be seen but touched, felt, and enjoyed.

Perennials adorn with winter green and color

It is great to see greenery and color in autumn and winter months. A porch and deck that is filled with perennials supplies that need. Perennials are tough and winter hardy and can endure the harshness of winter. The perennials of dainties, creeping jenny, red hot poker, daphne, bugle weed, coral bells, candy tuft, hen and chicks, Columbine, Veronica and sea thrift. All of these and others bring the porch and deck alive in winter.

Setting out pansies for winter of color

As October moves along, pansies can be planted. Most hardwares, nurseries, garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s Home Improvement have plenty of pansies in six- and nine-packs in full bloom in a variety of colors. They are tough and winter green and endure the frost and freezes of winter and produce flowers and foliage until spring. Buy a bag of pansy booster to give them a great start.

Kitchen comfort in middle of October

You can provide warmth and comfort in the kitchen in the middle of October as you prepare meals by using your oven. Bake your meals and spread warmth in the dining room. Close off the kitchen to build up warmth and then open doors to spread warmth to other areas.

Making a quick coconut whipped cream cake

This quick and easy to prepare coconut whipped cream cake has simple ingredients. You will need one box of yellow cake mix, one 18-ounce bag of frozen coconut (thawed), one tub of Cool Whip or an envelope of Dream Whip, four cups of 10x powdered sugar, one cup of sour cream and one tablespoon coconut flavoring. Mix and bake cake according to package instructions. Cool the two layers completely. Slice each layer in half to make four layers. Combine powdered sugar, sour cream, coconut and coconut flavoring and spreed on sides. Spread on the cut side of the layers. Spread the whipping cream on sides and top of cake. Store in refrigerator before and after serving.

Preparing outside faucets for winter

Prepare the water faucets outside the house by covering them with a layer of insulation wrapped with duck tape to prevent them from freezing temperatures. You can also purchase plastic faucet covers at Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Ace Hardware and most plumbing suppliers at a cost of around $12 to $15. They attach to a fitting on the house and can be detached when you need to use the faucet. They are insulated and built to last many years. They are a good investment.

Staying ahead of the harvest of leaves

As we draw closer to November, the trees are getting emptier as we get toward October’s end. Stay ahead of the leaf harvest as the mighty oaks get ready to empty their load. Do not allow leaves to blow all over the area. Rake, blow or vacuum them to the compost or garden area. Make a crushed leaf pile or fill the compost pile or bin. We like compost piles because you can add crushed leaves, grass clippings, garden residue and keep it turned with a pitch fork. You can also use organic plant food to heat up the compost pile. A little water on the pile can prevent wind from blowing the leaves around.

Candy corn has been around for generations

Candy corn is a traditional confection that has been around for many generations and well over a hundred years. It is one product that has not changed ingredients simply because their ingredients are sugar, corn syrup, corn starch and flavorings. It was on my Northampton County grandmas kitchen table from Halloween until Christmas. Our parents always had it in our treat bags at Christmas. It still looks and tastes the same, and compared to the price of everything, candy corn is still consistent in price. Unlike many other products, it has not been watered down. Over the years, they have only changed the color when they added Indian corn which is brown, white and orange. It has been made by Brach’s for well over a century. Place a bowl on the dining room table and relive some memories.

Jack Frost will soon pay us a visit

Jack Frost will soon visit our area and sweeten the collard bed and add flavor to the Siberian Kale. It will touch the leaves and add more bright color to them in their autumn splendor. Frost adds a special touch to cool weather vegetables and hardens them up for a grand freeze later next month.

A bit of crazy Halloween lore

This is a bit of weather that could be connected to a Halloween prank. This lore says that if you see a cow thumping its ribs with its tail you can look for thunder, lightning and hail, we do actually believe this is a lot of bull! We may have some thunder and lightning and even that would be rare in October.

A pot of mashed turnips — an autumn tradition

On a cool autumn evening, nothing says fall like creamy mashed turnips. To prepare mashed turnips, peel about six or eight turnips and dice them into one inch cubes. Boil in water until you can stick a fork through them. Drain and mash them with a potato masher. Add a stick of light margarine, half teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, one tablespoon sugar or light Karo corn syrup and one tablespoon mayonnaise. Stir or blend until smooth and creamy.

Catch basins for winter-over plants

When bringing in containers of Christmas cactus, panda and asparagus ferns or snake plant to winter over in the house, use plastic drip trays to prevent water from draining on the carpet or floor. These round trays cost about a dollar each, and are a great protective investment Make sure to get the right size for the containers.

“Land of Milk and Honey.” Little Joey: “Mom, are there going to be any animals in heaven?” Mom: “What kind of animals are you talking about?” Little Joey: “Regular animals like cows and bees.” Mom: “I’m not sure, but I don’t think they will be necessary in heaven.” Little Joey: “Well, is there going to be enough milk and honey for everyone?”

“Visiting the grands.” The grandparents were so excited that the grandkids were coming to visit that they put an an extra $10 in the offering plate. The next Sunday after the grandkids returned home, they put an extra hundred dollars in the offering plate.”

Tammy Joyce, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Mount Airy, recently attended the firm’s Financial Advisor Leaders Conference, which celebrates the contributions and achievements of some of the firm’s most successful financial advisors. The conference was held Sept. 29-30 in St. Louis.

During the two-day meeting, attendees heard from internal and external speakers about relevant topics, conferred on timely topics and shared best practices for serving clients.

“The care these financial advisors show for their clients is outstanding, as is the spirit of partnership they demonstrate with both clients and their branch teams. We applaud the positive impact they are making for their clients and in their communities,” said Chuck Orban, an Edward Jones principal responsible for the firm’s recognition events. “We always look forward to the camaraderie among attendees and the learning that takes place as we celebrate their hard work and the exceptional service they provide to our clients.”

Edward Jones, a FORTUNE 500 firm, provides financial services in the U.S. and through its affiliate in Canada. The firm’s nearly 19,000 financial advisors serve more than 8 million clients with a total of $1.6 trillion in client assets under care. The firm has several locations in Mount Airy and throughout Surry County.

“Turn us, O God of our salvation…wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee? …” Psalm 85:1-13.

Thinking on these words we realize that we have just read a prayer, a humble petition for the God who saved us to also bring us back to where we’ve fallen away from; where we need to return to. And where is that? Close to Him, and back into His will.

Part of the the way back home is to recognize we need to return. In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, who left home, left his father, and “wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all…he began to be in want…” He wound up getting a job feeding pigs, and in his hunger, even began eating the same husks the swine were eating. Finally, “he came to himself,” recognizing that he would be far better off if he would just return home.

The next part of the story, and our advice for returning to God, is turning away from self and sin, and our coming home with repentant heart to the Father. Because God is good and “His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 118), we know our Father is watching for us to turn the corner on our way back to Him. We know He’ll come running to embrace us, forgive us, and restore us!

II Chronicles 7:13-22, “…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.”

I believe this is a key scripture to our being revived individually, and as the church. Last week we saw how the first step in turning to God for revival is humbling ourselves. Today we will look at the second step, which is prayer. Notice in these verses that the Lord doesn’t say He’ll hear, forgive and heal if the world repents and turns to Him: The Lord says “if my people, which are called by my name” shall make themselves right with me, then I will have mercy and do all this good for them, and the land they live in.

We the church are the ones who know Him, know better, and know we need to return to Him. So we come to Him with words of prayer; as Daniel did in Daniel 9:3-19, confessing our own sins and the sins of our nation. The book also says that Daniel fasted. Sometimes the situation is urgent and dire enough that we need to pray, and fast. Isn’t our family and friends, and their eternal souls reason enough? So let’s set aside providing for the flesh, to seek the God of Heaven in spirit and in truth.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us, “Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest…Jesus the Son of God, … Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Christians, I believe we recognize we’re not were we need to be. America is no longer a Christian nation. The church is now more blended with the world and its ways. The bride of Christ is not as pure and holy as she needs to be. Our light is not as bright as our God requires of us. Truly our Lord is the only answer for this grave problem, so we pray to Him to lift us back up where we belong; to revive us again. Through prayer, as we acknowledge our need for Him, He extends us mercy, and offers us help.

James 5:13-18, “…in the name of the Lord…the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up…pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (producing the desired effect) fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much.”

Notice that this scripture teaches us that we are to pray in the name of the Lord. His name is Jesus; which literally means savior, or the Lord is salvation. We’re acknowledging that we need saving, and He’s the one who can save us. We are to pray by faith. See James 1:6, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” And Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.” And Luke 8:48 and 50, “be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” …and, “Fear not: believe only… be made whole.”

Notice also that James instructs us to pray fervently. This means with great warmth of emotion. We should earnestly pour out our soul in prayer to our God. Jesus taught His disciples, and us also, to pray to our Father. In Matthew 6:5-13 we are instructed to acknowledge that Christ’s Father is also our Father by faith; we recognize in reverence that His name is holy; we desire that His kingdom come, and His will be done, here in Earth, even as it is in Heaven; we request our daily food provision; we ask for His forgiveness of any trespass against Him; we ask Him to lead us in His righteous ways; and we plead with Him to deliver us from evil, within and without. And all this is because His is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.

One of the shortest verses in the Bible, but one of the most necessary to keep is I Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” We must be in a constant frame of mind of prayer and continual communion with our God. This will keep our focus where it belongs, on Him and His will.

In closing today, realize that prayer is a two-way street. As we offer up our prayers to our Heavenly Father, remember to listen to what He replies. Psalm 85:8, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” The way we hear from Him is by preparing our hearts and minds to receive what He has to say to us through His word in the Bible. Read it daily, meditate on, and memorize it, do it. James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Lord, “wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

Dobson Church of Christ held a youth carnival at the church on Saturday, Oct. 8, which drew youth and families from around the community for games, food, and fun.

WINSTON-SALEM — The second annual Mayberry Truck Show and Convoy, recently held at Bottomley Enterprises in Mount Airy, raised more than $410,000 for the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s Patient Assistance Fund.

The event featured more than 300 custom semi-trucks and trailers, awards, live music and fireworks. At the end of the day, the convoy of truckers drove through downtown Mount Airy.

Mitchell Bottomley, CEO of Bottomley Enterprises, decided to fundraise for the Brenner Children’s Patient Assistance Fund after witnessing firsthand a family struggling to care for their child in the hospital.

“A few years ago, while my son was in the hospital, a child in the bed next to his cried as his mom had to leave him to go to work,” Bottomley said. “I decided right then if I ever had the opportunity to help a mom not to have to choose between staying with their child or going to work I would.”

The Brenner Children’s Patient Assistance Fund helps families in need cover the cost of daily expenses including travel, food, bereavement care and other living expenses while their child is in the hospital.

“We are so grateful to Mitchell for his generosity and to everyone who supported this event,” said Alisa L. Starbuck, president of Brenner Children’s Hospital and vice president of women’s and children’s health services at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. “Their support of our Patient Assistance Fund means so much to the families of our young patients and helps ease some of the financial burdens that come with having a child in the hospital.”

Those who would like to support the Mayberry Truck Show community fundraiser can make a donation to the Brenner Children’s Patient Assistance Fund by visiting their online team fundraiser page at https://give.wakehealth.edu/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=1100&pg=team&fr_id=1070.

Information about holding a community fundraiser for Brenner Children’s can be obtained by contacting Lisa Long at lclong@wakehealth.edu or 336-716-4588.

Beginning of the colorful showoff of pumpkins

The pumpkin harvest is being shown off on the lawns of churches for fund raisers and in front of produce markets and roadside stands. Pumpkins have many uses such as jack o’ lanterns, harvest decor, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin puffs and puddings, and all kinds of desserts. They also make great lawn and porch displays. There is no shortage of colors, shapes and sizes of pumpkins and all the choices are great. Unlike many vegetables, pumpkins have a long shelf life. They will survive for over a month in a lawn or porch display and then be made into a pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are members of the squash family. The mid western part of our country produces the most pumpkins and Illinois produces more than any other state.

The leaf season of autumn is now here

The autumn air in October has a certain crispness which causes many leaves to fall as they unload from the tree. The leaves are dry and crisp as they gracefully fall to the lawn. Their crispy, dry condition makes them easy to blow or vacuum and rake to the garden or compost area. They can be broke down quickly by running them through the leaf vacuum. The crushed leaves make a blanket for rose bushes, bulb beds and azaleas or covering between rows or in beds. The oaks will begin to unload their harvest in November and continue to fall all during that month.

When can we expect to see Jack Frost?

The first frost in this part of the state is after October 15, but most years, it is much later than that. We may get a dusting on the lawn, but a frost that covers the roofs and turns them frosty white usually occurs around Halloween. The first killing frost that knocks out summer annuals and the remnants of summer crops usually occurs in mid-November.

Indian summer both colorful and beautiful

Indian summer is a most beautiful season with plenty of color, atmosphere, and very comfortable temperatures. All of nature is in slowdown mode. The crows in the pines are cawing about it and squirrels are celebrating by scrambling for acorns. Before darkness arrives, we are rewarded with the varied colors of a beautiful sunset on the western horizon.

Slowdown mode works its way to garden plots

Every thing about warm weather is winding down in the garden plot. Only a few pepper and tomato plants are still producing. The cool weather vegetables are slowly replacing the spent crops of late summer. The mustard and mixed greens, Siberian Kale, broccoli, onion sets, turnips, collards and cabbage will soon be covered with a layer of crushed leaves to prolong their harvest into the winter. Slow down mode in the garden does not mean stop mode.

Making a batch of Halloween trail mix

Fill an orange plastic jack o’ lantern with a great Halloween harvest, trail mix and set it on the dining room table and refill it often. To prepare this trail mix, combine, a box of Fiddle-Faddle popcorn, one bag crumbled cheese doodles, one box golden raisins, on bag M&M’s (plain) harvest mix, one pack Nestle’s chocolate chips, and one pack of mini pretzels (crumbled). Combine all ingredients and mix in one teaspoon salts and two tablespoons light brown sugar. Mix well and store in a popcorn tin to keep it fresh.

Tub of cold water cures shrinking pumpkin

After a votive candle burns in a jack o’ lantern for a week a pumpkin can begin to have the “Shrinks” You can provide a cure for this pumpkin shrink by removing the candle and place the shrinking pumpkin into a tub of cold water and leave it there all day. Before nightfall, remove the pumpkin from the tub and dry the inside and outside with a towel and replace the candle.

Plenty of fresh apples for the autumn table

The apple harvest of autumn is now reaching its peak of production. The produce stands and fruit markets as well as supermarkets are glowing with red, yellow, pink and green Granny Smith apples. They can be purchased by the bag, bushel or pound. The very best of all the apples are the tart and mellow, ones such as McIntosh, Winesap, Jona-Gold, York, and Granny Smith. For a real treat, fry some apples as a substitute for dessert. Peel eight or ten tart apples and cut into slices and discard the cores. Apply several teaspoons of lemon juice and set aside for several minutes. In a frying pan, melt one and a half sticks of light margarine and fry the sliced apples until tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle with a half cup of light brown sugar. Serve with cool whip.

Radish are a quick autumn vegetable

Cool soil of October paves the way for one of autumn’s quickie vegetables. A packet or two of radish seed can be sown in the cool October soil. They will sprout quickly because they love nippy soil conditions. Packets of radish cost around two dollars or less. You can choose from Crimson, Giant Cherry Bomb, Cherry Belle, Cherriette and Perfecto. Plant seed in a furrow about three inches deep and place a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow. Sow seeds sparingly and cover with another layer of peat moss. Apply a layer of Garden-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Tamp down soil on top of the row for solid soil contact.

What kind of acorn crop will October bring?

A huge crop of acorns could be a message of a harsh winter. Acorns on the forest floor could mean that snow will be knocking on our front door. A huge crop of acorns point to a cold, hard winter. If you see squirrels scurry around harvesting and storing acorns, it could be a sign of a snowy winter. Acorns are only a harbinger, we will just have to wait and see.

Enjoying days of Saint Luke’s little summer

We have been celebrating this great stretch of Indian Summer since around October 12, and can expect a few more days of comfortable temperatures that will come to an end on October 16. Saint Luke’s Little Summer has provided a break and a door of opportunity to get cool weather vegetables ready for up and coming colder temperatures and also catch up with the leaf harvest. May Saint Luke will be able to extend a few more of these days!

Using jack-be-littles for Halloween decor

The Small jack-be-little pumpkins make nice harvest and Halloween decorations and blend in well with the Hershey’s harvest Kisses, leaves, and a few harvest colored candles and a scattering of creme pumpkins for added color. The jack-be-littles. These little pumpkins cost less than two dollars each.

An autumn crunch maple nut coffee cake

The season of autumn is a great time to enjoy coffee cake. This is a great recipe with plenty of pecans in it. You will need one half cup of butter or light margarine (melted), one cup of finely chopped pecans, half cup of brown sugar, half cup of grated bread crumbs, one beaten egg, half cup white sugar, half cup milk, one cup of pancake mix, one teaspoon vanilla extract. Combine a half cup of melted butter or light margarine, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and bread crumbs. Mix all thoroughly and press into a baking pan sprayed with Pam baking spray. Combine beaten egg and white sugar and beat until fluffy. Add milk and pancake mix with vanilla extract and stir lightly until mixed. Stir in three tablespoons of melted butter or light margarine Pour over the brown sugar-pecan mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for at least thirty minutes. Cool for fifteen minutes. Flip out of pan onto a cookie sheet or large plate. It can be served hot or cold.

A garden in all the seasons of the year

A goal for the garden should be to have something producing in it in all seasons of the year, a garden in production no matter what the season may be. There are enough varieties of cool and cold weather vegetables that can extend the garden into every season with a harvest in each month of the year. A garden that will look full of life all year long.

Peat moss is important for cooler weather

When sowing or setting out cool and cold weather vegetables such as Siberian kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, mustard and mixed greens, turnips, onion sets, lettuce, and radish. Always apply layers of peat moss on tops and bottoms of seeds and plants before hilling up soil in the furrow.

Using organic plant food on a cool weather vegetables

Applying organic plant and vegetable food on cool and cold weather vegetables will promote a healthy harvest in autumn and winter. Organic food such as Plant-Tone, Garden-Tone, Alaska fish emulsion, and Doctor Earth plant food. These are finely textured and quickly absorb into the soil and food during winter extremes.

Making a colorful pumpkin center piece

A real pumpkin with floral decor in its center will add color to any dining room table. Buy a medium sized pumpkin that is round and orange. Cut around the top and remove the seed as if you were preparing a jack o’ lantern. Place a potted mum in the pumpkin, placing a small towel in bottom of the pumpkin lightly water each week. You can also use an orange plastic pumpkin and a small potted mum.

Indian corn makes great harvest decorations

Indian or ornamental corn comes in colors of brown, maroon, burgundy, gold, and tan. It can be purchased in bunches or individual ears at most supermarkets and produce markets. It can be use to decorate mantels and dining room tables. It makes a great decor just by placing it in a decorative bowl.

-“Untidy sum”- A father was speaking to the young man who had been dating his daughter about his finances. “What will be your yearly income?”, the father asked. “Fifty thousand,” the young man replied. “That’s not too shabby. And when you add my daughter’s forty thousand, that will be a comfortable income.” “Oh, I counted hers in the fifty thousand” said the young man.

-“Let’s make a deal”- A pastor was trying to work out a deal for a lower price on his vehicle repairs. “Remember the pastor pleaded, “I am a poor preacher.” “I know”, said the mechanic. I was in your church last Sunday.”

Night of the “Full Hunters Moon”

Sunday, October 9, will be the night the Full Hunters Moon shines down on harvested fields and woodlands with an orange glow. It will rise at 4:55 p.m. just before dark and as night falls, it will cast a glow on the wings of crisp autumn air that will make the Hunters Moon even more bright and full. Enjoy this beautiful moon as it shines all night through the bedroom window. We remember coon hunting under a bright Hunters Moon in Northampton County as a kid.

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Next in Line – Jeffrey Archer

The Winners: A Novel – Fredrik Backman

Treasure State – C. J. Box

A Narrow Door – Joanne Harris

Woman Last Seen – Adele Parks

The Apple Creek Announcement – Wanda Brunstetter

A Quilt for Christmas – Melody Carlson

Aura of Night – Heather Graham

I’ll Be Seeing You – Robin Lee Hatcher

Girls of Flight City – Lorraine Heath

Robert B. Parker’s Fallout – Mike Lupica

Still My Forever – Kim Vogel Sawyer

A Taste for Poison – Neil Bradbury

We Carry Their Bones – Erin Kimmerle

To Walk About in Freedom – Carole Emberton

Why Didn’t You Tell Me – Rita Wong

Join us Tuesday, October 18 at 2 p.m for Lasagna Planters when we will learn how to plant a variety of spring bulbs in one planter, using a layering technique. You will need to bring a container of your choice that is 12 inches wide by 11 inches deep. The rest of the materials will be provided. The workshop is free, but registration is required, as seats are limited. Call 336-789-5108 or stop by the front desk to reserve your spot today!!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest – Our annual pumpkin decorating contest will be the week of October 24 – 29. Bring your decorated (not carved) pumpkin to the library on Monday,October 24. Patrons will vote throughout the week and the winner will be announced on Saturday the 29.

Fright Night at the Library – Looking for a good scare, then come join us Friday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. for some scary stories and treats. Ages 10 and above.

Witches Brew with Witchy Poo – October 29 at 10:00 a.m. Put on your costume and jump on your broomstick and fly on in to storytime with Witchy Poo. We will have candy, cookies, juice and Halloween stories.

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Mom’s Morning Out with Jo – meets Mondays at 10:00 a.m. beginning October 10. Book club that focuses on Good clean Christian romance, coffee and maybe a facial. This month’s book is Burning Sky by Lori Benton.

STEAMed Up Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.- Interactive fun and learning for 4th – 6th grades.

Pages & Petticoats Online Book Club – meets the last Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m., discussion questions will be posted on Facebook. This month’s book is also Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Community Book Club – meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1:00 PM. This month we will be reading If the Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss.

HOOKED – Join our crochet and knitting club, Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Open for all skill levels. Bring your own yarn and make the group project, or bring your own project to work on.

Chapters Book Club – Every Third Thursday at 11:30 am. Read what you want and discuss with others.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion. 10 am every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

It’s Yoga Y’all!!! – Join Ms. Heather on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 am.

Job Posting – The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32 hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. Please go to this website for further details.https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

A Face for Picasso – Ariel Henley

Violet and Daisy – Sarah Miller

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. Come explore literature through science, history, math, art and technology. For youth in grades 4 through 6. This week we will be learning about and building volcanoes.

Hooked – Join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest – Our annual pumpkin decorating contest will be the week of Oct. 24 – 29. Bring your decorated (not carved) pumpkin to the library on Monday, Oct. 24. Patrons will vote throughout the week and the winner will be announced on Saturday Oct. 29.

Fright Night at the Library – Looking for a good scare, then come join us Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. for some scary stories and treats. Ages 10 and older.

Witches Brew with Witchy Poo – Oct. 29th at 10 a.m. Put on your costume and jump on your broomstick and fly on in to storytime with Witchy Poo. We will have candy, cookies, juice and Halloween stories.

The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32-hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. For more details visit https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

The NoneSuch Playmakers theater company is offering up an early Halloween treat as they transport their audiences back to Victorian England for their new original mystery, “The Golden Dawn Murders.”

The year is 1890. During a lavish dinner at Calderwood House, a remote family manor, prominent financier Lord Peter Alston (Brack Llewellyn) is shot dead on his own doorstep. Chief Constable Alarbus Jones (Scott Carpenter) is summoned to the scene, where he encounters an elite group of dinner guests and an odd symbol on the drawing room wall. It’s the emblem of The Order of the Golden Dawn, one of several secret societies that existed in the United Kingdom during Victorian times. Jones learns that most of those attending the dinner are members of this enigmatic group, but there seems to be no connection to the murder.

In the course of his investigation, Constable Jones encounters a young woman who was not on the guest list—Katherine Hadleigh (Rachel Macie), a former maid at Calderwood House. She tells Jones that the members of the Golden Dawn have a dangerous secret hidden behind their affluent exteriors—a secret that could bring down the British Empire. As the constable learns more about the mysterious order, he discovers that Miss Hadleigh has some shocking secrets of her own.

“Miss Hadleigh’s presence brings an element of the paranormal to our story,” said Brack Llewellyn, who wrote and directed the play. “No spoilers, though. We want the audience to make the discoveries along with Constable Jones.”

“The Golden Dawn Murders,” Llewellyn said, is a bit of a throwback to theatrical melodramas of the past.

“Most of the action takes place in one room. It’s an ensemble cast that includes some unsavory characters, a red herring or two and an unexpected ending,” Llewellyn said. “At its core the play is a whodunit, but there are larger implications for Jones as he delves into Miss Hadleigh’s allegations about the order. He’s a small town cop who finds himself in uncharted territory. We hope the audience will want to hiss at the villains and cheer for our intrepid constable.”

Besides Carpenter and Macie, the cast includes David Nielsen as textile millionaire Victor Baldridge; Christine Werner Booher as author Ann Scott Perry; NoneSuch newcomer Thomas Smith as prominent London surgeon Benjamin Stockton; Olivia Jessup as railroad heiress Melisande Portman; Brian Greene as American exporter Douglas Daughtry; Janelle Metzdorf as Lady Margaret, the murder victim’s icy widow; Branden Macie as engineering genius Hamish Upton; Jonathan Carpenter as musical prodigy Owen Anderton; Meredith Dowdy as Millicent Atwater, the cook at the manor; and Toby Bunton as Merrick, the butler.

Performances of “The Golden Dawn Murders” are Friday Oct. 7 and Saturday Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., and Sunday Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the L.H. Jones Auditorium, 215 Jones School Road, in Mount Airy.

These are “pay what you can” performances. There is no set ticket price. Patrons are asked to pay only what fits their budgets. The Playmakers adopted “pay what you can” following the pandemic shutdown to make their shows accessible to more people, whatever their means. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Jones Family Resource Center.

As the calendar flips to October, many in the region are thinking about cool autumn days, Halloween decorations and the late-season harvest time.

But for some hoping to ensure area children and teens have a happy Christmas, this is the time to start working for the holiday season.

The annual Give A Kid A Christmas program, started by former Sheriff Graham Atkinson more than three decades ago, will be gearing up for the fundraising portion of its activities over the next week.

“The foundation board met last week,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, Surry County School superintendent. “We have letters ready, we’re getting those printed and mail merged to go out…Those will be going out in the next few days. That’s really the kickoff to our fundraiser.”

The event, begun roughly 30 years ago when Atkinson, then a deputy serving as a DARE officer in the local school system, is a massive effort joining the county school system, the Give A Kid A Christmas foundation, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, and local businesses and volunteers.

Through various fundraising efforts, the foundation will collect money to help buy needed goods — chiefly food and clothes for underprivileged families — along with a few fun Christmas presents for the kids and teens. While they’re doing the fundraising, school counselors are working with the Salvation Army to identify kids from families who might have holiday needs, and then the program culminates near Christmas, when an army of volunteers puts together large food boxes for the families, while other volunteers use the raised funds to shop for clothes and toys for the kids.

Then, more volunteers deliver them all to households in the community.

“For over 30 years, the Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation has been a staple here in Surry County Schools to help our students with food, with clothing, the bare necessitates, and with toys,” Reeves said.

The program wasn’t always so elaborate.

Atkinson, who has served in Raleigh on the governor’s Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission since he retired from the sheriff’s office in 2015, said he had no idea of starting a county-wide movement that would last beyond his time with the sheriff’s office.

He has many times told the story of how the program began, when he noticed a child in a local elementary school in need.

“I noticed the young man was wearing the same clothes each time I was there,” he said in 2019 during the fundraising kick-off that year. “They were obscenely small clothes. I started asking some of his teachers, and they told me he’d worn the same set of clothes to school every day. Since he was in third grade.”

He reached out for some help, finding it at Walmart, who helped the deputy provide enough clothing for that young man to provide him with a modest new wardrobe.

“If you had handed him a bar of gold, it wouldn’t have meant any more to him. For the rest of the year, his clothes may not have always been clean, but he wore those (new) clothes, and he was proud of them.”

From that beginning, and the desire to help more and more children each year, grew Atkinson’s Give A Kid A Christmas program.

This week, Atkinson said he never knew what eventually became of that child, but he recounted a few other heart-tugging incidents along the way.

“In one of our very first years, we used to get the guidance counselors to help us get the names (of kids to help). I got a request from a 17-year-old-female, when she put down what she wanted for Christmas, she put down she wanted an ax.

“Now, the law enforcement officer in me started to get worried. But…I learned this little girl’s daddy was disabled. Some well-meaning neighbors had gotten together and cut a load of wood, but they had cut it fireplace length, and all they had for heat was a wood stove. She wanted an ax so she could split the wood.

“I delivered that one in person. She got the ax, though we didn’t do that one at school,” he was quick to add. “She got an ax, but she also got some other things a 17-year-old girl should have for Christmas.”

Another story he shared brought some raw emotion to the surface, as the former sheriff said he always gets choked up relating this memory.

“I was looking through the requests when I came across a third-grade boy,” he said. “I don’t need anything,” the child had written. “But my little sister is 3 and she would really like a baby doll.

“There again, the little girl got a baby doll, but the boy also got Christmas presents. That was very early when we started doing this, but that set the tone for what we are doing today. That’s when we realized we should include siblings that are not of school age.”

Now, he said, when they identify a home in need, they try to provide gifts for all the children and teens in the household, and enough food to the family so they can make it through the Christmas break from school. Atkinson explained that for many children in Surry County, the only food they have each day is the school-supplied breakfast and lunch, with no dinner at home available some nights.

“You can imagine how hard that is for a two-week Christmas break.”

Reeves said there are many opportunities for people to help. Many groups in the schools — from student clubs collecting change to faculty and staff organizing donation drives — are working to give to the project.

A number of area residents and businesses make donations as well.

The single biggest fundraiser is what they call an annual “telethon,” which is a live-streamed event similar to television shows that raise money for various causes. Reeves said the event, to be hosted by former television weather forecaster and current local pastor Austin Caviness, along with former television anchor Cameron Kent, is set for Nov. 28. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, and possibly some other outlets.

“We’ve raised $30,000, $40,000 in one night,” he said of the telethon. “A lot of folks look to that date to give.”

While that seems like a hefty figure, the effort will use every dollar, and then some.

“Last year, we raised money for food and clothing for about 700 children,” he said. “We provided over 350 food boxes…and the food boxes weight 50-60 pounds. It’s quite a lot of food.”

On average, he said they spent about $140 per child on clothing and toys.

For those wishing to donate to the effort, there are several ways:

– Send a check to Sheriff Atkins’s Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation, PO Box 827 Dobson, NC 27017

– Send a donation via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giveakidachristmas

– Sent a donation via Venmo using the email sheriffsgiveakidachristmas@gmail.com

For more information, visit the foundation’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/giveakidachristmas

October signals the abundance of pumpkins. They cover the entrance of produce markets in a sea of bright orange. They are also featured sprawled out on church lawns where they can be purchased at fund-raisers. As we begin October, take the kids and grandkids on a search for their own jack o’lantem by visiting a pick your own pumpkin patch.

There are two kinds of pumpkin patches; the first kind is a man-made patch where there are hundreds of pumpkins in rows and you walk through the rows and choose the one you want. The other type of pumpkin patch is pumpkins growing in the field. Kids actually visit the patch and harvest their pumpkin. Many of these farms have a hayride, playgrounds and refreshments. Many old fashioned country stores feature plenty of pumpkins, apples and Halloween candies, Indian corn and other decor.

Checking out a row or bed of purple turnips

The turnips sown earlier in September are sprouting and have two leaves. If the turnip sprouts are too thick, thin them out so they will have space to develop large turnips. Feed the turnips with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food once a month and keep soil hilled up to cover the vegetable food on each side of the row. As we move further into October, place a layer of crushed leaves between the rows for added protection.

The furnace and air conditioner get a break

These Indian Summer days of October are comfortable and are giving our furnace and air conditioner a break in the season. These October days are pleasant because the humidity is lower and provides us with a bit of natural air conditioning. A crisp breeze also brings some comfort. These are opportune days to finish all lawn and garden chores and also relax on the front porch.

Indian Summer paves the way for Jack Frost

It’s hard to believe with the pleasant days of Indian Summer temperatures that frost is only a few weeks away. We can expect some frost after the middle of the month, but not much of a killing frost until the end of the month. The light frosts will benefit the cool weather vegetables and harden them off for the heavy frosts and hard freezes that will arrive in November.

Making a plate of sweet pumpkin puffs

This is a great pumpkin recipe that is simple to prepare for an autumn dessert. You will need two and a half cups of Bisquick, one and a half cups of sugar, half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices, two cups canned pumpkin, half cup milk, two beaten eggs, four tablespoons Crisco oil, four table spoons light margarine, and one teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Combine the Bisquick, one cup of sugar and the pumpkin pie spices. Mix in the two cups of pumpkin, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, half cup of milk, two beaten eggs and four tablespoons Crisco oil. Mix all ingredients well for sixty seconds. Grease the muffin tins and fill the muffin cups two thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for twelve minutes or until done. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Mix half cup sugar half teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, and four tablespoons of light melted margarine. Dip the puffs in the sugar. spice mixture. Makes at least 24 puffs. It can be made without the sugar-spice topping.

The four o’clocks have had a wonderful season

The four o’clocks have had a productive season. They have bloomed since the last of May and we still have several blooming on the front of the porch. They open earlier each evening because the end of Daylight Saving is drawing nearer. At this time late in the season, they are still in bloom at noon each day. We think it will take a hard freeze in November to finish their long season. They have became perennial and return each year. Four o’clocks are a great investment in foliage and flowers for three of the year’s four seasons.

Checking out the season’s crop of acorns

The forest floor has lots of acorns even though the squirrels have harvested their fair share of them. When there is a huge layer of acorns lying on the ground in mid-October they are sending a subtle message that they are waiting around for some snow before the year ends.

Red berries cover the limbs of dogwoods

There have been plenty of red berries on the dogwoods in spite of the fact that many have been eaten by birds. There are still a lot remaining on the limbs. We don’t know if an abundance of berries is any sign of a harsh winter or not. You can gather some of these red berries to decorate the dining room or coffee table for Christmas.

You can still set out a row or bed of onion sets

It may be close to mid-October but it is still Indian Summer. You can still set out a bed of onion sets. They are still available at most hardware’s and garden centers. You can choose from white, red, or yellow sets. The first hard freeze usually occurs in November and that’s how much time you have to set out those onion sets. At this time of season, you can go ahead and apply a layer of crushed leaves on the sets between the rows when you set them out.

The Christmas cactus ready to move inside

All the Christmas cactus have been outside on the porch in a semi-sunny location since mid-May. The time is now approaching to move them inside to the sunny living room before the arrival of the first frost later this month. They will need to be trimmed back a little and fed with Flower-Tone organic flower food and some cactus medium needed at top of the container. In the living room where they winter over, they will need to be in a semi-sunny location away from direct sunlight to prevent foliage from turning reddish. They will need a drink of water once a week but don’t over water them.

Preserving autumn leaves for harvest displays

To preserve autumn leaves in all their color and glory, use a can of beeswax and melt it in a small pan and dip each leaf in the wax, remove and place on a paper plate to dry. They can be used on the dining room or coffee table or mantel for harvest decorations with jack-be-little pumpkins and Hershey’s autumn Kisses, candy corn or creme pumpkins.

Making a jack o’ lantern and pie

You can make a jack o’ lantern and have a pumpkin pie with it later on by painting a face on the pumpkin with acrylic paints and place it on the front porch. Use acrylic paints in colors of orange, yellow black and white to highlight and color the face of the pumpkin. After Halloween, you can cut the pumpkin, peel it cut into chunks, boil until tender and mash with a potato masher or run through the blender in grate mode, and make into pumpkin pies.

The moon will reach its first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 2. Yom Kipper will begin at sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 4. There will be a full moon on Sunday, Oct. 9. This full moon of October will be named “Full Hunter’s Moon.” Columbus Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 10. The moon will reach its last quarter on Monday, Oct. 17. The new moon of October will occur on the evening of Oct. 25. Halloween will be Monday, Oct. 31.

These tiny pumpkins are about the size of your fist and they make colorful displays for the dining room or coffee table. You can paint faces on them or use them as they are. Use Hershey’s autumn Kisses or creme pumpkins around base of pumpkins for centerpieces. The kids will love these decorations. Replenish the candy often.

Pumpkin carving kit is a good investment

The best and safest way to carve out a jack o’ lantern is with a durable and long lasting pumpkin carving kit. A quality kit with plenty of blades and attachments costs around $12 and will last for many years. They can also be used to carve melon baskets and cantaloupes. A kit includes attachable blades, a scraper, and a scooper and saw blades of all sizes.

Still time to plant pansies

Pansies are the annuals of autumn that will carry over into winter and early spring. As October arrives, there is still plenty of time to start containers of pansies. You can still purchase six and nine packs of pansies in full bloom at hardware’s, nurseries garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Ace Hardware.

“Checking out the tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s a horrible gash on your forehead, what happened?” Child: “My sister hit me with some tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s amazing. I’ve never seen a tomato cut like that before.” Child: “Well, these tomatoes were canned tomatoes.”

“Silent treatment.” Father: “Your boyfriend stayed last night.” Daughter: “And did the noise bother you, Dad?” Father: “No, but the long periods of silence did.”

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

The Night Has Green Eyes – Doug Bicknese

A Song of Comfortable Chairs – Alexander McCall-Smith

Oath of Loyalty – Kyle Mills

Blowback – James Patterson & Brendan DuBois

All is Bright – Rae Anne Thayne

Dirty Poetry – Ivan L. Moody

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. Come explore literature through science, history, math, art and technology. For youth in grades 4 through 6.

Hooked – Join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In September we will be reading and discussing The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook. This month’s book is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. “Find Your Voice at the Library.” To celebrate and encourage people new to the library to sign up for a library card, we are holding a daily raffle in the month of September. Each day, people who sign up for cards or check out books will put their name in a basket and we will draw at the end of each workday. The prizes may consist of different gift cards, books or other prizes. So, if you aren’t a member of our local library system, Northwestern Regional Library, come out and sign up in the month of September.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

In late September, the soil of the garden plot is cool and workable. The vegetables of onion sets, turnips, Siberian kale, mustard greens, collards, cabbage, and broccoli can be planted or set out. Use plenty of peat moss in the bottom of the furrows and for a root crop like turnips, place a layer of peat moss on the bottom and on top of the turnip seed. Use Plant-Tone or Garden-Tone organic vegetable food during the cold winter to side dress the vegetables and hill up the soil on both sides of the row. As the season gets colder, cover between the rows with a layer of crushed leaves.

The leaves of autumn are now falling. Stay ahead of them and pile them up to use for compost, mulch, blankets, protection as well as crushed leaves. If you pile them up, use a sprinkling can of water on them to prevent wind from blowing them around. Vacuum them up as you need them.

Snow predictions for Saint Michael’s Day

Saint Michael’s Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 28. Special weather lore on his day says that if the mighty oaks are filled with acorns on his day, the fields will be filled with snow on Christmas Day. Could it be possible to have a snow that covers the fields on Christmas Day? Yes, and it happened on Dec. 25, 2010 when we received an eight-inch snowfall. In Northampton County, my grandma’s old homeplace, they received 13 inches of snow. The prediction of Saint Michael could have a bit of truth in it. My grandma may not have known about Saint Michael, but she knew about acorns on the mighty oaks and had her prediction about them as they bounced off her tin roof in Northampton County. She always said that a yard full of acorns in late September meant plenty of snow covering the yard in winter. Could fogs in August and acorns in September connect with the snows of winter?

The tomato plants that will produce green tomatoes in October to be harvested just before frost now have tiny green tomatoes that are developing. Feed them with Tomato-Tone organic tomato food this week so they can have one more boost of food. Keep an eye on the first frost and gather the harvest of green tomatoes. Wrap them in sheets of newspaper and store them in a shallow box. Check them in the box every ten days for ripeness. Keep the tomatoes sheltered in a warm dry place in the house.

Making a maraschino cherry pound cake

This cake has cherries in the cake and also in the frosting which makes it moist as well as colorful. You will need one and a half cups of Crisco shortening, three cups of sugar, three forth cup of milk, six eggs (separate whites from yolks), half teaspoon baking powder, three and three fourths cups plain flour, one and a half teaspoons vanilla flavoring, one and a half teaspoons cherry flavoring, one half of a ten ounce jar of maraschino cherries (chop the cherries into small pieces and save juice for the frosting.) Cream the Crisco and sugar. Add milk and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the flavorings. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold the chopped cherries into the egg whites and add to the mixture. Grease and flour a tube pan with Crisco shortening. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Bake at 275 degrees until batter starts to rise then reduce temperature to 250 degrees and bake for two hours until cake is firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. For the frosting, you will need three ounces of cream cheese, half stick light margarine, two cups 10X powdered sugar, one cup of chopped pecans, half of the ten ounce jar of chopped maraschino cherries, one teaspoon of cherry flavoring and juice from the cherries. Mix all the ingredients together except the juice from the cherries. Add only enough juice from the cherries to make the frosting smooth enough to spread.

American bee balm has long history

Bee balm has been a part of American history for more than 250 years and a part of the American Indian history for much longer than that. It was traditionally used by native Americans to sooth bronchial conditions, coughs, and colds. Leaves can be made into tonics and tea. The lavender and pink petals can be used in salads. When you trim back the bee balm for winter, trim back all the stems because next spring, the balm will produce a whole new season of stems, foliage, and flowers.

Splendor of September winding down

The calling card of September is now down to the last six days. We still have a few more weeks of comfortable weather and a bit of a nip in the night air to remind us that autumn is now with us. Days are still getting shorter by a minute each evening. Indian Summer is certainly being seen as well as felt. The wet dews are lingering each late September morning and the harvest of acorns is falling from mighty oaks. The season is slowly transitioning to future events of the first frost, colorful sunsets, and the departure of humming birds, as well as falling leaves as the autumn has officially arrived.

Row or bed of Siberian kale lasts all winter

Siberian Kale can now be planted in autumn’s garden plot. It is a tough, winter hardy green that will winter over. It can be be used as a salad or fresh cooked sweet greens. Seed of Siberian kale costs less than $3 an ounce and can be sown in rows or beds until the middle of October.

Preparing the Christmas cactus for a move

The Christmas cactus has been outside on the front porch since mid-May, and the first steps are being made to move all of them to the sunny living room where they will spend late autumn, winter, and early spring. The first step is to make sure they have enough cactus medium and to feed them with Flower-Tone organic flower food before they are moved inside in late October. Inside the house, they will bloom in late November. Inside the house, do not expose them to direct sunlight because this causes the foliage to turn reddish.

Still time to plant the flowering spring bulbs

The frost date is Oct. 15, and we usually don’t get a hard freeze until late in the month of November. That means you still have plenty of time to set out the spring flowering bulbs of daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, jonquils, narcissus, snowdrops, and crocus. Most hardwares, nurseries, and garden centers, as well as Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Ace Hardware, and Walmart still have plenty of bulbs. You can buy them in mesh see-through bags or from individual bins. This makes it easy to inspect bulbs for rot or mold. Purchase a bag of bone meal or bulb booster to promote bulb growth and development. Apply a layer of peat moss when setting out bulbs.

Heating season near; keep filters ready

Autumn is now in its fourth day and we are in the beginning stage of the heating season. Many furnaces have already flexed their muscles or they will be in a few days. Keep several new filters on hand as the heating season gets underway. Change or clean filters once a month for a cleaner air flow and less dust in the home write the size of the filter on the side of the furnace with a black permanent marker so you won’t forget the size of filter to purchase.

Covering the air conditioner outside condenser

As the season of the furnace begins, the season of the air conditioner will soon be over. As the season of cooling comes to a close, cover the outside condenser unit with a vinyl cover to protect against winter temperatures and freezes. Find the size of the condenser and purchase a cover at a plumbing and heating contractor or Home Depot or Lowe’s Home Improvement, or at the dealer where your unit was purchased.

Organizing storage buildings for winter

The outdoor barn or shed during spring and summer becomes a storage area for tools, plant foods, peat moss, and supplies and as the gardening season moves along, it becomes filled and disorganized. This makes it difficult to keep up with objects you frequently need. As we approach the first days of autumn, it’s time to devote an afternoon to reorganizing the outdoor shed or barn and place lawn and garden tools in an order where they can be easily located to where you need them and they can be found when you need them. Remove everything from the building and sweep it out. Spray the area to control insect pests and critters. Replace the items in the order that you will need them next season. Leave rakes, snow shovels and tools for use in autumn and winter near the front of the barn or shed. Use control measures to prevent mice and other varmints from wintering over in the buildings.

“Tripped Up!” Jan: “I always get sick the night before I leave on a trip.” Fran: “Then why don’t you leave a day earlier?”

“Polluted Space.” Professor: “Do you know what will happen if we keep polluting outer space?” Student: “Yes, the Milky Way will curdle.”

“Alienated.” People are always criticizing my looks. Last week, I had a blind date, and she went home and reported having a close encounter of the third kind!

“Return to Sender!” Teacher: “Mrs. Philton, your son is a constant troublemaker. How do you put up with him?” Mrs. Philton: “I can’t, that’s why I send him to school!”

Protecting American bee balm in winter

Autumn has arrived and it is time to prepare the American bee balm for a long winter’s nap. It can winter over on the back of the front porch, but it will need covering and protection from harsh winter winds and freezing temperatures. You will need to trim back tall growth to about six to eight inches. Move the plant to the rear of the porch away from winds and exposure to extreme temperatures. Use several sheets of cardboard glued together place the cardboard on top of the bee balm and then place a dry towel on the cardboard. Remove them each day when temperatures warm up. Water lightly every week to keep container from freezing.

The Surry Arts Council is sponsoring three concerts at the Blackmon Amphitheatre this week in conjunction with Mayberry Days, featuring three of the more popular bands that regularly play during the arts council’s summer concert series.

Legacy Motown Revue returns to the Blackmon on Tuesday followed by The Embers featuring Craig Woolard on Wednesday and Band of Oz on Thursday. The concerts on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings start at 7:30 p.m. The show on Thursday evening begins at 8 p.m.

The Legacy Motown Revue takes listners back to the days of The Drifters, The Coasters, The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, The Temptations, and so many more legendary icons. “Featuring talented performers that dance and sing, plus ang six-piece horn band, you will be transported back in time to one of the most influential periods in American Musical History,” arts council organizers said.

“The Embers are widely considered a musical marvel and have laid the groundwork for what has become known as ‘Beach Music’ in the Carolinas, Virginias, the gulf coast region of North America, and every beach in between,” arts council officials said. “They are a true musical tradition with which many Americans have listened to from childhood to adulthood. The Embers consider the genre of Beach Music as ‘music with a memory’ and have been creating lasting memories since its inception in 1958.”

“The Band of Oz is one of the most successful groups in the Southeast and continues to get the very best reviews from the top people in the entertainment business,” concert organizers said. “The band now features a full horn section to total a dynamic eight-member group. They still perform well over 200 shows per year for corporate events, festivals, concerts, wedding receptions, and many other public and private events.”

Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or annual pass. The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Other Birds – Sarah Addison Allen

The Christie Affair – Nina de Gramont

What the Fireflies Knew – Kai Harris

Hell and Back – Craig Johnson

Settling His Hash – William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

Think of Me – Frances Liardet

Take My Hand – Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Girl From Guernica – Karen Robards

Sisters of Night and Fog – Erika Robuck

The Mad Girls of New York – Maya Rodale

Seven Days in June – Tia Williams

Woman on Fire – Lisa Barr

Edge of Dusk – Colleen Coble

The Dark Hours – Michael Connelly

Grace Under Fire – Julie Garwood

The Judge’s List – John Grisham

The Family You Make – Jill Shalvis

The Zen of Therapy – Mark Epstein, M.D.

What it Took to Win – Michael Kazin

The Invisible Kingdom – Meghan O’Rourke

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. A new program for students in fourth through sixth grades. Students will listen to a book and/or read the book. Activities will be STEAM-based, built around science, technology, arts, math, literature and history. For youth in grades 4 through 6.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In September we will be reading and discussing The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook. This month’s book is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. “Find Your Voice at the Library.” To celebrate and encourage people new to the library to sign up for a library card, we are holding a daily raffle in the month of September. Each day, people who sign up for cards or check out books will put their name in a basket and we will draw at the end of each workday. The prizes may consist of different gift cards, books or other prizes. So, if you aren’t a member of our local library system, Northwestern Regional Library, come out and sign up in the month of September.

National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, Sept.20. Come by the library to register or update your registration from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Update your registration if: You have turned 18, you have moved, you have changed your name.

Save Those Seeds. There will be a free seed saving workshop presented by Surry County Extension Master Gardeners on Sept. 20 2 p.m. Registration is required. Call 336-789-5108 or stop by the circulation desk to secure your spot today.

Friends of the Library Mini-Book Sale Come will be held on Thursday, Sept. 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 23, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

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!”

Katie Deal will make her debut performances in Mount Airy during Mayberry Days which kicks off on Monday, Sept. 19. She will perform her one-woman show, “Katie Deal: Crazy for Patsy Cline” on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Andy Griffith Playhouse and “Wildflowers: The Women of Country Music” on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Historic Earle Theatre.

Deal has performed to sold-out houses across the US and Canada. A Georgia-born artist, she is best known for her authentic country sound. She is the 2016 recipient of the Georgia Country Artist of the Year Award and a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame.

With a new take on nostalgia, “Crazy for Patsy Cline” features a live Nashville band. Taking the audience from Patsy Cline’s early music to her jazz club days, “Crazy for Patsy Cline” is a unique concert version of the songs and stories of Cline told from the experiences of country singer Deal.

“With all the songs you know and love, ‘Crazy for Patsy Cline’ delivers an evening of unparalleled entertainment and a walk down memory lane,” officials with Surry Arts Council said of the upcoming show.

Deal takes the stage with her one-woman concert, “Wildflowers: The Women of Country Music,” featuring her rockin’ Nashville band. This original tribute honors legends such as Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Reba McEntire, Crystal Gayle, Shania Twain, Kitty Wells, and others. Join Deal as she performs groundbreaking hits such as “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” “9 to 5,” “Harper Valley PTA,” and “Stand By Your Man.”

“Katie Deal: Crazy for Patsy Cline” takes place on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Tickets are $45. “Wildflowers: The Women of Country Music” starring Katie Deal will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Historic Earle Theatre. Tickets are $40 for balcony and $45 for orchestra. Tickets for both shows are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. A new program for students in fourth through sixth grades. Students will listen to a book and/or read the book. Activities will be STEAM-based, built around science, technology, arts, math, literature and history.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In September we will be reading and discussing The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library, Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. “Find Your Voice at the Library.” To celebrate and encourage people new to the library to sign up for a library card, we are holding a daily raffle in the month of September. Each day, people who sign up for cards or check out books will put their name in a basket and we will draw at the end of each workday. The prizes may consist of different gift cards, books or other prizes. So, if you aren’t a member of our local library system, Northwestern Regional Library, come out and sign up in the month of September.

The library will be closed on Sept. 16 for staff development.

Robin Portis with the Master Gardeners of Surry County will give a talk on fall gardening at 2 p.m. on Sept. 13. Call 336-789-5108 in advance to register.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

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.

Gardening in autumn requires less work

Working in the garden in autumn is more comfortable with less humidity, lower temperatures, workable soil, less insects and also a slow down of weeds. All cool weather crops that will last through the winter can now be planted in the September garden plot. One thing that makes autumn gardening pleasant is the soil is workable and has just enough moisture in it to promote growth of the vegetables of autumn. Certainly the heat is not a factor in autumn’s garden.

Watch out for September wet dew

The wet dews of each morning now carry over from August into the month of September. Many are heavy and linger until the afternoon. The sun of September takes its time in burning off the cold morning dew. Avoid the mistake of mowing dew laden grass because it is not only wet but also sticky and will rust your mower as well as stick to your feet as well as pile grass clippings all over the lawn, it may take until mid-afternoon, but wait until the sun dries the dew from the lawn. Your lawn will be easier to mow and will also look a lot neater.

Onion sets can now be set out in garden

Onion sets are now available at most hardware’s, garden centers, and seed shops. A pound costs around three dollars and you can choose from white, yellow, or red sets. They can be set out in rows or beds. They will grow in cold temperatures and can be harvested all the into spring. Plant onions in a furrow about four inches deep and about three or far inches apart. Spread a layer of peat moss in bottom of the furrow before setting out the onions. Set the onions with the root side down. Apply another layer of peat moss on top of the onions and then apply a layer of Garden-Tone organic vegetable food on top of peat moss and hill up soil on each side of the furrow and tamp down with the hoe blade. They will sprout in about two weeks. When they sprout, hill up soil on both sides of the row after applying an application of Garden-Tone organic vegetable food. Water with water wand each week when no rain is in the forecast.

Keeping humming birds fed in September

As September arrives, the annuals of the summer are slowing down and cutting down on the source of nourishment for the hummers. Keep the feeders filled with nectar twice a week. In about a month, they will be leaving on their flight to Mexico for winter. Your nectar will help build the energy for the journey ahead. You can prepare your own nectar with a quart and and a half of water and four cups of sugar with several drops of food coloring (red). Store the nectar in the refrigerator in a half-gallon milk plastic jug. The nectar will last longer in the September temperatures that are more comfortable and most likely the appetites of the hummers will also increase.

Setting out a row or bed of turnips

Turnips are a root crop that needs a long growing period to produce a harvest. They need to be sown at least during the first half of the month of September. Purple top turnips are the most popular variety but you can also choose white turnip varieties, but we prefer purple tops simply because of their royal color! An ounce of turnips will sow a 4×8 bed or a 40 foot row and cost about two dollars. Sow thinly in a row or furrow about three inches deep. Apply a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow and sow seeds on top of the peat moss and another layer of peat moss on top of the seed. All root crops need this double application of peat moss to retain moisture and improve texture of soil to develop healthy turnips. On top of the layers of peat moss, apply an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on both sides of the furrow and tamp down with the hoe blade for good soil contact. After turnips sprout, side dress with a layer of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food on each side of raw and hill up the soil.

Making New England salmon chowder

Cool evenings in September pave the way for hot soups and chowder. This recipe calls for canned salmon which makes it simple and easy to prepare. You will need one envelope of beefy onion soup mix (Recipe Secrets), one can (large) Double Q Salmon, two cans Campbell’s cream of potato soup, one pack fried chopped bacon, two cans evaporated milk, half teaspoon black pepper, one tablespoon Old Bay seasoning. Fry the bacon and chop into small pieces. Add the canned salmon and liquid and chop or mash up the salmon. Add all other ingredients and boil over medium heat until hot and steaming. Thicken the chowder to the consistency you desire by placing eight to twelve ounces of cold water in a glass and adding six teaspoons corn starch to the water and mixing until creamy. Add two ounces at a time to the chowder until chowder reaches thickness you prefer. Serve with crackers, bread, or oysterettes.

September is the month of colorful sunsets

The days of September are getting shorter and paving the way into the makings of beautiful sunsets on the Western horizon. Cooler temperatures plus the sun going down earlier produces more and varied colors as the sun sets a minute earlier each evening. The earlier darkness causes these colors to have an enhanced glow in the western sky. Purple clouds also add to that display. Colors of red, orange, yellow, pink, and lavender add extra majesty. The rays of the setting sun produce a glow on the leaves of autumn and give them fiery glory.

Garden residue and autumn leaves equal up to great compost ingredients

The vines, stalks and foliage of spent summer crops are great ingredients to add to the compost pile or bin. Autumn leaves will soon fall and make another compost ingredient. Add to them the grass clippings from the lawn and you have the makings of a compost bin or pile. We have found out a pile is actually great because the sun shines down on it and it is easy to turn with a pitch fork. It can easily be watered to cool it down and it improves the soil underneath the pile.

Starting a row or bed of Siberian kale

The cooling soil of the month of September is receptive to a row or bed of Siberian kale which is one of America’s favorite greens simply because it can be prepared as a green and made into a salad. It is one of the most winter hardy of all the greens, and also the most tender and flavorful. It can even be harvested when snow is on the ground. An ounce costs a little over two dollars and will plant a 4×8 bed or a 40 foot row. Sow the seed in a furrow about two or three inches deep. Spread a layer of peat moss over the seed and hill up soil on each side of furrow after applying an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food. Tamp down the soil in the row with a hoe blade for solid soil contact. When they sprout, use a sprinkle can of water mixed with Alaska fish emulsion according to directions on the bottle and pour over the kale. Repeat this a month later. In late October, place a layer of crushed leaves between the rows of kale as a blanket.

Setting out cabbage, collards and broccoli

Cool September soil and also cooling nights make conditions ideal for setting out collards, cabbage, and broccoli. Plants are still plentiful at hardware’s, garden centers seed shops and nurseries. Make sure stems are bluish green and that plants have not damped out or legged out. Set plants in a furrow about five inches deep. Apply a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow and set the plants about two to two and a half feet apart. Apply a layer of Plant-Tone or Garden-Tone organic vegetable food in the furrow and hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Keep soil hilled up every two weeks. Feed with Plant-Tone or Garden-Tone once a month.

The almanac for month of September 2022

The moon reaches its first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. We will be celebrating Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. The moon will be full on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. The full moon of September will be named “Full Harvest Moon.” Patriot’s Day will be Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. Grandparents Day will be celebrated on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The moon reaches its last quarter on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Autumn begins on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. The new moon occurs on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022.

“Home Cooking”- Customer: “Mam, do you serve breakfast here?” Waitress: “Yes sir, we do, what will you have?” Customer: “Let me have watery scrambled eggs, some burnt toast and some weak lukewarm coffee.” Waitress: “Well, whatever you say, sir.” Customer: “Are you doing anything while the order is being prepared?” Waitress: “Why, no sir.” Customer: “Then sit here and talk to me I’m home sick!

“Getting older!”- You know you’re getting older when you sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it going. You burn the midnight oil after 8:00 p.m.. You look forward to a dull evening! Your knees buckle when your belt won’t. Your little black book contains names of those that only end in M.D. Your back goes out more than you do. You decide to procrastinate and never get around to it. Dialing long distance makes you tired. You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there!

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Aura of Night – Heather Graham

The Healing of Natalie Curtis – Jane Kirkpatrick

The Librarian Spy – Madeline Martin

The Ex Hex – Erin Sterling

Sugar and Salt – Susan Wiggs

Invention of the Heart – Mary Connealy

Unfailing Love – Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

The It Girl – Ruth Ware

The Last White Rose – Alison Weir

In Honor’s Defense – Karen Witemeyer

Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis – Beth Macy

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 6. A new program for students in fourth through twelfth grades. Students will listen to a book and/or read the book. Activities will be STEAM-based, built around science, technology, arts, math, literature and history.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In September we will be reading and discussing The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. For August, we will be reading Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

Classic Movie Monday on Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. to watch Key Largo. Popcorn and water provided.

The first of a three-part education program on understanding Alzheimer’s and dementia will be held Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. at the library.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library, Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. “Find Your Voice at the Library.” To celebrate and encourage people new to the library to sign up for a library card, we are holding a daily raffle in the month of September. Each day, people who sign up for cards or check out books will put their name in a basket and we will draw at the end of each workday. The prizes may consist of different gift cards, books or other prizes. So, if you aren’t a member of our local library system, Northwestern Regional Library, come out and sign up in the month of September.

The library will be closed on Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day, and on Sept. 16 for staff development.

Carmen Long from the NC Cooperative Extension will present a free food safety and food preservation workshop at 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 9.

Robin Portis with the Master Gardeners of Surry County will give a talk on fall gardening at 2 p.m. on Sept. 13. Call 336-789-5108 in advance to register.

The library will be closed for region wide staff development on Sept. 16

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

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.”

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.

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program in Surry County is looking for volunteers interested in joining the program and doing volunteer work in the community.

The program began in North Carolina in 1979 and has grown to 88 North Carolina counties. Extension Master Gardeners Volunteers are trained to help connect North Carolinians with the reservoir of horticultural knowledge and research developed at North Carolina A&T University and NC State University.

Surry County Extension has an active Extension Master Gardener program. These volunteers help Surry residents learn more about a myriad of gardening topics, answer questions, conduct demonstrations and workshops, and help maintain the demonstration gardens at the Historic Courthouse in Dobson.

Once interns have completed their initial training, Extension Master Gardeners volunteer 20 hours of their time to the community every year. Beyond their initial training experience, they can attend lectures and workshops offered by state and national experts.

For anyone interested in applying to the program, the Surry County Extension Master Gardeners conduct a 13-week training program each year. The next program will be conducted from January through May in 2023. Classes are held once a week for three and one-half hours. Applications and more details can be found at https://surry.ces.ncsu.edu/. The application deadline is Dec. 15.

The Blackmon Amphitheatre will have a full schedule of music this weekend. Liquid Pleasure will play Thursday night, Too Much Sylvia will take the stage on Friday night and Cassette Rewind will perform on Saturday night. All three shows will be at 7:30 p.m.

Liquid Pleasure is a Chapel Hill-based party band that plays everything from Top 40, rap, rock, and a variety of other genres. After more than two decades of bringing audiences to their feet, the band Liquid Pleasure has become a multi-cultural icon.

“With no album high on the charts to boost them, Liquid Pleasure is a marketing phenomenon. By word of mouth only, they are the most accomplished band in their circuit. Liquid Pleasure brings fun and excitement to people who want to have a great time,” Surry Arts Council organizers said.

Developing a loyal following of friends and fans sporting their red sunglasses and singing along to the band’s songs, Too Much Sylvia plays anything from a few unplugged tunes, some beach, motown, funky 70’s, retro 80s, a few of the top current hits and some country.

“Blend this in with some possible special guests such as ZZ Topp, Village People, Pit Bull, etc. and it really turns into the perfect entertainment for everyone,” concert organizers said.

Born in the ‘80s and raised on radio, Cassette Rewind is “the ultimate authentic ‘80s experience. Cassette Rewind provides captivating and dynamic performances of Prince, George Michael, Journey, Whitney Houston, and countless 1980s pop icons. Grab your Members Only jacket and put on your leg warmers because nothing’s going to stop you from getting footloose and singing along.”

Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass. The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

The Surry County Master Gardeners volunteers will be holding two online Lunch and Learn sessions in coming weeks.

On Sept. 1, from noon until 1 p.m., the topic will be “Beware of These Invasive Plants.” The hour-long presentation will identify local invasive plants and offer recommendations to control their spread.

The link for more information and to register is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/355570660417. Information can also be found on the group’s website at surry.ces.ncsu.edu, under events.

The topic “Edible Landscapes” is featured in the Oct. 6 webinar, also from 12 to 1 p.m. This session will teach those watching how to create an oasis of edibles — even in small spaces.

For more information and to register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/355565976407. Information can also be found on the website at surry.ces.ncsu.edu, under events.

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

White Trees Crimson Snow – Sallie Bissell

The Apple Creek Announcement – Wanda Brunstetter

Carved In Stone – Elizabeth Camden

Projector for Sale – Steven Decker

Grace Under Fire – Julie Garwood

The Lines Between Us – Amy Lynn Green

The House Book – Susan Greenwood

The Big Dark Sky – Dean Koontz

The Sweet Remnants of Summer – Alexander McCall Smith

Shattered – James Patterson and James O. Born

Beyond the Desert Sands – Tracie Peterson

Portrait of an Unknown Woman – Daniel SIlva

The Dead of False Creek Sarah M. Stephen

From Shadowed Places – Jeremy M. Wright

Last Dance On the Starlight Pier – Sarah Bird

The Last House on the Street – Diane Chamberlain

The Sweet Life – Suzanne Woods Fisher

Ever Constant – Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

The Bookseller’s Promise – Beth Wiseman

Empire of Pain : The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty – Patrick Rodden Keefe

Lightning Down : A World War II Story of Survival – Tom Clavin

Much Ado About 90 – Barbara Bates Smith

Just As I Am – Cicely Tyson

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 6. A new program for students in fourth through twelfth grades. Students will listen to a book and/or read the book. Activities will be STEAM-based, built around science, technology, arts, math, literature and history.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In August we will be reading and discussing Elegy for Iris by John Bayley. This is a story of his wife, Iris Murdoch, who developed Alzheimer’s and how they managed. We will also meet to watch the movie based on the book.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. For August, we will be reading Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels.

Classic Movie Monday on Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. to watch Key Largo. Popcorn and water provided.

The first of a three-part education program on understanding Alzheimer’s and dementia will be held Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. at the library.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library, Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. “Find Your Voice at the Library.” To celebrate and encourage people new to the library to sign up for a library card, we are holding a daily raffle in the month of September. Each day, people who sign up for cards or check out books will put their name in a basket and we will draw at the end of each workday. The prizes may consist of different gift cards, books or other prizes. So, if you aren’t a member of our local library system, Northwestern Regional Library, come out and sign up in the month of September.

The library will be closed on Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day, and on Sept. 16 for staff development.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

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!”

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 Surry Arts Council’s Summer Concert Series has a full schedule this weekend starting with Band of Oz on Thursday. The Catalinas will take the stage on Friday with Blackwater R&B Band to follow on Saturday. Each show will take place at the Blackmon Amphitheatre at 7:30 p.m.

“The Band of Oz is one of the most successful groups in the Southeast and continues to get the very best reviews from the top people in the entertainment business,” concert series organizers said. “The band now features a full horn section to total a dynamic eight-member group. They still perform well over 200 shows per year for corporate events, festivals, concerts, wedding receptions, and many other public and private events.”

The Catalinas always play a variety of music for all ages. Though known for Beach music, regionally and nationally for the mega-hit “Summertime’s Callin’ Me,” The Catalinas play all styles.

The Blackwater Band is in its eleventh year and is based out of Clarkton. Playing Top 40, blues, funk, and country, The Blackwater Band is dedicated to live performance and making every event a party experience.

Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass. The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Listen to Me – Tess Gerritsen

The Best is Yet to Come – Debbie Macomber

The It Girl – Ruth Ware

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. In August we will be reading and discussing Elegy for Iris by John Bayley. This is a story of his wife, Iris Murdoch, who developed Alzheimer’s and how they managed. We will also meet to watch the movie based on the book.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. For August, we will be reading Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels.

Classic Movie Monday on Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. to watch Key Largo. Popcorn and water provided.

The summer backpack reading program winners were: Johannah Brown for-second grade, Ryan Karpenko for grades 3 – 5, Kaitlyn Hollady for grades 6 – 8 and Caleb Brown for grades 9 – 12.

The Kindle winner was Noah Feuerberg, who logged 18,066 minutes of reading this summer. The participating youth logged in a total of 62,373 minutes this summer.

A special thank you goes to the Friends of the Library members. With their hard work in raising funds we were able to provide programming, crafts, pizza, the backpacks full of goodies and the Kindle. This group does an amazing job. If you would like to join, come by the library for a pamphlet.

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

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.

Mount Airy Wesleyan Church will soon be expanding its worship services.

Beginning on Sunday, Sept. 11, the church will add a third worship service on Sunday mornings.

“We are so thankful for the growth of our church family,” said Rev. Eric Smith, the church’s pastor. “Offering three services will give everyone more space. We hope that this will also encourage guests to attend if they are looking for a church home.”

A contemporary worship service will be available each week at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. in the Worship Center and a traditional worship service will be available at 10:45 a.m. in the sanctuary.

Nursery and Kids’ Church will be provided during all worship services. Mount Airy Wesleyan is located at 2063 South Main Street in Mount Airy. For more information, contact the church at 336-786-7250 or via social media.

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.

The Embers featuring Craig Woolard return to the Blackmon Amphitheatre on Thursday followed by Envision on Friday and The Castaways on Saturday. All three bands are set to play at 7:30 each evening.

The Embers are widely considered a musical marvel and have laid the groundwork for what has become known as ‘Beach Music’ in the Carolinas, Virginias, the gulf coast region of North America, and every beach in between. They are a true musical tradition with which many Americans have listened to from childhood to adulthood. The Embers consider the genre of Beach Music as “music with a memory” and have been creating lasting memories since its inception in 1958.

“Envision’s stage show is as exciting to watch as it is to dance to, covering hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, all the way up to the contemporary sound of Today’s Top 40,” concert organizers said. “Although specializing as a ‘party band,’ the band’s repertoire encompasses a wide variety of musical styles, including R&B, beach, Motown/oldies, pop, dance, funk, and jazz.”

The Castaways are “the premier party band in the Carolinas and Virginia,” organizers said. “They have been pleasing audiences with their unique flavor of beach, soul, and Rock N’ Roll for generations of fans. But don’t let the fact that the band has been around for 50 years fool you. High energy, current songs, and fun on stage will bring a party to all ages.”

Each concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass.

The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

DOBSON — After a two-year break from play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation (SYEMC) was able to donate $9,750 each to four area nonprofits after the cooperative’s 10th Charity Golf Tournament brought in more than $39,000. The 2022 golf tournament goal was $30,000.

This week, members of SYEMC’s Community Projects Committee, led by chairman Travis Bode, SYEMC’s economic development coordinator, presented checks to the Yadkin Valley United Fund, Grace Clinic of Elkin, Greater Mount Airy Ministry of Hospitality — which include The Shepherd’s House and Helping Hands Foundation — and Second Harvest Food Bank.

The day of the tournament, representatives of the nonprofits were on hand to help volunteer and greet the 120 golfers at Cedarbrook Country Club in State Road. The 30 teams were divided into three flights for the captain’s choice format.

Winners of the championship flight, with a score of 55 were Gene Walden, Brandon Carroll, Cecil Alexander and Nelson Rector. In second place, with a 55, were Adam Key, Daryl Tilley, Connor Key and Glen Key.

First flight winners were Donnie Limon, Daniel Rodriguez, Brent Whittington and David Rodriguez, with a score of 53. Second place, with a score of 53, were John Evans, Clark Comer, Robert Kent and Jeff Benfield.

The winners of the second flight, with a score of 57, were Michael Frazier, Laura Neely, Erica Parker and Greyson Cox. Second place, with a score of 60, were Noah Hill, Toliver Wright, Patrick Frazier and Cody Spencer.

Closest to the pin award went to Tony Shinault, and longest drive winner was Michael Frazier.

“When the sponsorship money started coming in, we were elated to find we had so much support from business partners and players that we passed our goal by almost $10,000 and we had a waitlist for teams,” said Bode. “Next year we hope to restructure our tournament so we can include more golfers.

“Surry-Yadkin Electric’s employees love that we have a chance to support nonprofits in this way. It is part of our cooperative principles, with one being concern for community,” he said. “We have caring, giving employees and we are honored to have business and community members who join us in making a difference for those in our area.”

In addition to the annual golf tournament, Surry-Yadkin EMC, a member-owned electric cooperative, hosts a food drive in the fall, sponsors families at Christmas, sponsors youth programs such NC Youth Tour, Bright Ideas Education Grants (with applications from area teachers due by Sept. 15) and Touchstone Energy Sports Camp, and more.

For more information on SYEMC and its community programs, visit the cooperative’s website at syemc.com.

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.

Some of the potential next generation of doctors and health professionals recently got a chance to experience their industry hands-on.

Eighteen local high school students interested in becoming registered nurses, physicians, occupational therapists, or any number of occupations in the medical profession participated in Camp Med 2022 Summer Program provided by Northern Regional and the Northwest Area Health Education Center, an initiative of the Wake Forest School of Medicine. The camp took place on July 18-22.

“Camp Med gave Northern Regional Hospital the opportunity to meet and introduce 18 young individuals to the healthcare field,” said Daniel Combs, head of Student Programs at Northern Regional Hospital. “They started out quiet, but by the end of the week, they were full of questions and excitement about our hospital and community. I am confident that this Camp Med has changed the lives of these young students.”

The program provided a range of educational experiences in the healthcare workforce, from meeting practitioners to observing state-of-the-art technology to touring healthcare facilities and learning about the services provided to patients, as well as presentations by the Mount Airy Police Department, Surry County Sheriff’s Office, Surry County Emergency Services, and Air Care.

Participants explored different medical career pathways, including obstetrics, surgical services, diagnostic imaging, and more. Each student that participated in Camp Med obtained a CPR certification through the American Heart Association. The camp included a tour of Surry Community College to explore the healthcare certificates and programs offered there. The students finished their camp with a service project for Operation Medicine Drop, an event that encourages the public to drop off expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications for proper disposal.

“There are many local students interested in entering the medical field and so we held Camp Med to give these individuals some experience and interaction to help them explore the many opportunities in healthcare here at Northern Regional Hospital,” said Tina Beasley, manager of Volunteer Services at Northern Regional Hospital and one of the coordinators of Camp Med. “Our hopes and intentions with the camp are to expose students to a wide variety of careers within the medical field so that they might discover they have a passion for a career they might not have even known existed before attending the camp.”

“Camp Med was an amazing opportunity,” said Katie O’Neal, oneof thestudents. “I highly enjoyed the pig dissection, OR tour, Air Care, intubation session, doing IVs on a mannequin, and hearing from several medical professionals. I also thought it was interesting and very informative when I had the opportunity to sit down with the pharmacy director and the infectious disease control pharmacist in a meeting. I will forever remember this experience and I learned so many things in only four days.”

Camp Med participants were from across the area, including Karlee Bryant, Jace Hazelwood, Sophie Hutchens, Cassius Jennings, Chloe Jennings, and Wenxin Zheng from East Surry High School; Savanna Cortes, Alexander Cropps, Christopher Hernandez-Carrillo, and Haylee Orellana from Surry Early College; Chloe Johnson, Katie O’Neal, and Brianna Wilmoth from Surry Central High School; Aryan Hira and Palak Patel from Millennium Charter Academy; Mattie Bare and Zoe Draughn from North Surry High School; and Madison Spencer from Mount Airy High School.

Plans are for the program to be an annual camp held at Northern Regional Hospital.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News