April PineStraw 2026

Special Event Friday, April 10 7:00 PM

Monday, June 1 7:00 PM Mainstage Tuesday, April 28 7:00 PM “Rise of T. Rex” Ruth Pauley Speakers

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Poem

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PINEHURST TOYOTA

MAGAZINE

volume 22, no. 4

David Woronoff, Publisher david@thepilot.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director andiesouthernpines@gmail.com

Jim Moriarty, Editor jjmpinestraw@gmail.com

Keith Borshak, Senior Designer keith@thepilot.com

Miranda Glyder, Senior Designer miranda@pinestrawmag.com

Alyssa Kennedy, Digital Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Emilee Phillips, Digital Content emilee@pinestrawmag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Dodson, Stephen E. Smith

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Gessner, Laura L. Gingerich, Diane McKay, Tim Sayer

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenna Biter, Anne Blythe, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Tony Cross, Brianna Rolfe Cunningham, Mart Dickerson, Bill Fields, Mary Novitsky, Lee Pace, Todd Pusser, Joyce Reehling, Deborah Salomon, Scott Sheffield, Rose Shewey, Kimberly Daniels Taws, Tommy Tomlinson, Daniel Wallace, Ashley Walshe, Amberly Glitz Weber

ADVERTISING SALES

Samantha Cunningham, Advertising Director 910.693.2505

Christy Phillips, Sales Manager 910.693.2498

Kathy Desmond, 910.693.2515

Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513

Erika Leap, 910.693.2514

Ginny Trigg, 910.693.2481

ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

Mechelle Butler, Scott Yancey PS

Henry Hogan, Finance Director 910.693.2497

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

Tonnie Nester, Distribution Specialist

SUBSCRIPTIONS 910.693.2488

OWNERS

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff In memoriam Frank Daniels Jr. 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 www.pinestrawmag.com

AT LISI MARKET

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Beautiful 5 BR / 3.5 BA GOLF FRONT home situated on two lots on the first tee of the 3-hole Challenge course! With just over 4,100 sqft. this home stuns with its fine finishes throughout from a renovation in 2022. Primary suite and bath on main level along with second bed and full bath. On the upper level there are 3 additional bedrooms with full bath and a large bonus room. Transferable Pinewild CC membership!

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by Jim DoDson

Garden Reborn

And just maybe, ready for prime time

On a warm and dry afternoon last October, as I mulched and watered my front yard’s 35 parched azaleas in the middle of the most punishing drought in memory, a shiny, white Volvo eased into my driveway.

A pair of well-dressed women emerged.

They introduced themselves as Candy Gessner and Lorraine Neill, committee members from the Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs. They had something to discuss.

For an instant, I wondered what crime against nature I might have unwittingly committed. Unnecessary strain on municipal water supplies? Had neighbors complained about my loud (and entirely inappropriate) oaths issued at a rainless sky?

Instead, Candy smiled and reached for my grubby hand.

“We understand you have a lovely garden,” she said. “We’ve come hoping to view it and ask if you would be interested in having your garden featured on the 2026 garden tour in June.”

Between us, they could have knocked me over with a packet of Burpee seeds. In my time on this Earth, I’ve built three ambitious landscape gardens and never given a passing thought that somebody might wish to see them. Especially a lot of serious gardening somebodies.

My first garden was built on a heavily forested hilltop in Maine, a classic New England woodland garden created on the remains of a vanished 19th-century farm that my cheeky Scottish mother-in-law nicknamed “Slightly Off in the Woods.” It was the perfect name because the only people who ever saw it were the FedEx guy and tourists who’d taken a wrong turn onto

our dirt road.

“Nice layout,” the FedEx guy once remarked with a smirk. “But why build a garden like this that nobody will ever see?”

“Because I see it,” I said. “It keeps me sane in a crazy world.”

He thought I was joking. But any serious gardener will tell you that time spent in their garden is a cure for whatever ails the spirit. Most of us, in fact, never imagine that others will desire to see our gardens. We create them for us. The closest we can get to playing God, as a famous English gardener named Mirabel Osler once said to me.

My second garden belonged to a cute little cottage in Pinehurst that my wife, Wendy, and I rented in hopes of eventually buying. The previous owner had been an elderly gardener who let his 2-acre garden run amok. I spent a year cutting back overgrown azalea bushes and battling wicked wisteria vines and even recovered a “lost” serpentine brick fence that had been swallowed whole by English ivy. I also built a beautiful wooden fence around the fully restored garden — just in time for disaster to hit.

The week we planned to officially buy the place, the kitchen floor collapsed, and we discovered that black mold was running like a medieval plague through the walls and floors. We moved out that same afternoon. At least the garden looked fantastic.

Finally, there is the garden where the women from the garden council and I stood on that afternoon. It is, without question, my final garden and, therefore, a serious labor of love.

A decade ago, we moved back to my hometown, taking possession of a charming mid-century bungalow that the Corry family built in 1951. I grew up two doors away from this lovely old house and always admired it. Al and Merle Corry were my parents’ best friends. Their grown children were thrilled when

they learned that a pair of Dodsons would be their childhood home’s second owners.

And so, we set off to fully restore the property.

As Wendy got to work on the interior, I confronted “Miss Merle’s” long-neglected garden. It took a year of weekends just to clear dying trees and dead shrubs from the front yard before I could turn my attention to the backyard so wildly overgrown, I nicknamed it “The Lost Kingdom.”

Over the next decade, neighbors and friends got used to the sight of me getting gloriously dirty every weekend, rain or shine — digging holes, building beds, hauling in new soil and manure, eventually planting a dozen flowering trees in the front yard alone, with banks of hydrangeas and 30-plus azalea bushes, inspired by a former neighbor who did the same during my childhood years.

In due course, our “east” garden became a flowering space with a tiered stone pathway and lush beds that are home to autumn sage, Mexican sunflowers, purple salvia, society garlic, Mexican petunias, Gerbera daisies, and red-hot pokers. Knock Out and old-garden rose varieties preside over a trio of butterfly bushes that monarchs swarm upon on late-summer days.

In the former Lost Kingdom out back, I built an Asianthemed shade garden that’s home to nine Japanese maples, scores of autumn ferns and monster-sized hosta plants (I imported from my Maine garden). The final touch was a stone pathway that winds through this tranquil, hidden space, though only I and our three dogs have ever followed it.

Which brings me back to the lovely women from the council. I thanked them for considering my garden for their June tour but pointed out that drought had taken an alarming toll. Moreover, mine was still a young garden, a mere decade old. It needed time to heal and find its way.

“Another year perhaps?” I suggested.

They wouldn’t hear of it. “Everyone’s garden has been beaten up,” Candy reminded me. “But come spring, they always bounce back like a miracle. Yours will, too.”

So now, friends, April is here and I’m a man in constant motion, fussing, fixing, weeding, mulching, trimming, planting new things and getting gloriously dirty. A garden, of course, is never finished. There is always something to do, to change, to add or subtract, or simply fix. Nature abides no slackers.

Nothing could make me happier than to welcome folks to my reborn garden come June 6-7.

Don’t mind my grubby hands, though. A gardener’s job is never done. PS

Sadly, Lorraine Neill passed away earlier this year on Feb. 6. We offer our condolences to her family and friends and gratitude for the time she dedicated to The Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs.

Jim Ddson’s 17th book, The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim Travels the Great Wagon Road, is available at The Country Bookshop.

310 INVERRARY ROAD – FAIRWOODS ON 7

Overlooking multiple holes on iconic Pinehurst No. 2 including the 8th hole, 16th hole, 17th hole, 18th hole and the member clubhouse. Arthur Hardin–designed with nothing spared in quality or design.

$2,900,000

135 BLUE ROAD – OLD TOWN

Elegant Old Town home with spacious rooms, three large bedroom suites with private baths, a grand entry, gourmet kitchen, and detailed molding. New guest cottage with 2 ensuite bedrooms, porch, and private patio.

$1,895,000

175 BROOKHAVEN ROAD

ACCESS TO IMMEDIATE country club golf charter membership, no waiting. Prestigious Fairwoods ON 7. All brick custom built home overlooking the 15th fairway with vistas of multiple fairways. Exceptional features throughout including 2 fireplaces, updated kitchen with wine cooler, spacious great room with high ceilings, 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths.

$1,695,000

20 FIELDS ROAD – OLD TOWN

One of the last project lots in Old Town near Pinehurst No. 2 and the historic village, offering a rare opportunity to renovate, expand, or build new on a corner lot with transferable membership.

$789,000

80 LAKE POINT DRIVE – LAKE FRONT

Sought-after lakefront cottage on Lake Pinehurst, minutes from the historic village and resort. Rarely available, this fully updated 2-bedroom, 2-bath home features an elevated deck, courtyard, and patio overlooking the water.

$595,000

50 MCCASKILL ROAD W. – OLD TOWN

“Blinkbonnie” was built by financier Simon B. Chapin, showcases early-1900s Old Town charm on over an acre, with elegant living spaces, a grand dining room, and a sunny Carolina room.

$2,495,000

214 FREEMAN WAY – ACREAGE

A rare two-home, 8-acre estate near Pinehurst, ideal for multigenerational living and large events, featuring a guest cottage, pavilion, glass greenhouse, and native gardens. Truly hidden gem off Linden Rd. only 2 miles from the Village of Pinehurst.

$1,200,000 – SOLD

1 COLLETT LANE – PINEHURST

Located on a private cul-de-sac in the desirable Donald Ross area, this home offers mature landscaping, a pool, screened porch, deck, golf cart access to Pinehurst courses, and transferable country club membership.

$895,000

127 SAKONNET TRAIL – PINEHURST NO. 6

Impressive all-brick home in Pinehurst No. 6 with new Andersen windows, four bedrooms, a separate office, and a private setting featuring a covered porch, brick patio, and outdoor kitchen.

$750,000

1175

ST ANDREWS, UNIT 206 – ERIN HILLS

Coveted Erin Hills condo with a pond and Pinehurst No. 5 golf views, offering updated 3-bed, 2-bath living — perfect for year-round or weekend getaways, with PCC membership available for transfer at reduced rate.

$460,000

WHAT’S YOUR WHY?

MEDICAL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Services

Pinehurst Medical Clinic's Medical Weight Management services focuses on your why. We evaluate, treat, and advocate for patients with the chronic disease of obesity and obesity-related conditions using evidence- based approaches. With services directed by board- certified physicians and diplomates of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

METABOLIC WELLNESS • WEIGHT MANAGEMENT • DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH • WEIGHT HISTORY • NUTRITION • EXERCISE UNDIAGNOSED TYPE 2 DIABETES, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, OR SLEEP APNEA

Personalized treatments plans

In-person visits with one-on-one provider to patient weight management consultations

Guidance from a registered dietitian • Lab and medication management

PinePitch

Impatiens, Geraniums, Marigolds, Oh, My!

The Pinehurst Garden Club’s annual plant sale pickup is Sunday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Green Haven Plant Farm, 255 Green Haven Lane, Carthage. You can make day-of-sale purchases or pre-order plants through April 16. Proceeds fund scholarships for horticultural students at Sandhills Community College as well as beautification projects in Pinehurst. Info: www.pinehurstgardenclub.org.

The Clubhouse Turn

Pinehurst Parks and Recreation and the Pinehurst Driving Club present the 77th annual Spring Matinee Races on Saturday, April 11, at the Pinehurst Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the racing begins at 1:30 p.m. We’re shocked, shocked to find there will be gambling going on. No, really, we are. For information go to www.vopnc.org.

April Authors Abound

• Southern Pines native and PineStraw columnist Bill Fields discusses his memoir, A Quick Nine Before Dark: A Life in Golf, at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

• Virginia McGee Richards talks about her book The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

• Taylor Brown discusses his new novel, Wolvers, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: ticketmesandhills.com.

• Emily Matchar talks about her new book, The Lost Girl of Craven County, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

• Julia Hans will be at the Southern Pines Public Library, 170 N.W. Connecticut Ave., at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18 to share her book, a Penny Postcard History of Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

• Bob Crawford, bass player with The Avett Brothers, will speak about his book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

• Michelle Collins Anderson will talk about her new novel, The Moonshine Women, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Happy Heritage Day

The annual Clenny Creek Heritage Day is Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the 1840s James Bryant home and the 1760s McClendon cabin, 3361 Mt. Carmel Road, Carthage. There are old-time activities, a livestock petting area, live music and food. Admission is free. Info: www.moorehistory.com

The Art of Nature

The Arts Council of Moore County and five artists — Warren Lewis, Nancy Lewis, Sharon Lowey, Frederick Schmid and Linda Storm — combine to present “Palustris: Nature’s Canvas,” beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3, at the Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. The show hangs through April 24. For more information go to www.mooreart.org.

Burning Up

Firefest is a two-day celebration of the heat that makes the art at Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 3, there will be live demonstrations, artist talks and hands-on workshops in ceramics, metal and glass. For info go to www.StarworksNC.org

Just Fantastick!

The Sandhills Community College theater department presents The Fantasticks beginning Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m., at BPAC’s McPherson Theater, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. There are two additional performances on Saturday, May 2, and another on Sunday, May 3. For more information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Carolina Phil

Maestro David Michael Wolff and the Carolina Philharmonic present an evening of classical masterworks at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. For info and tickets call (910) 687-0287 or go to www.carolinaphil.org.

Live After 5 kicks off its 2026 concert series at 5:15 on Friday, April 10, with Cierra Doll, followed by The Ray Band. There will be kids’ activities, food trucks and all the trimmings at the Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. For info: www.vopnc.org.

Celebrating America 250

Join the North Carolina Symphony, conducted by Sophie Mok, for an evening of classical masterpieces including works

by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. For info go to www.ncsymphony.org.

A Little Love

The Moore County Choral Society’s spring concert, “Perhaps Love,” incorporating a jazz combo and string quartet, will be held Sunday, April 26, at 4 p.m. in BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. For information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com

The Golden Voice

Enjoy a live performance featuring local sensation Julia Golden beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 17, at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. What else do you need to know? If there is something, go to www.sunrisetheater.com

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PinePitch

Five Questions with Priscilla Presley

Q: How would you describe an evening with you onstage?

Priscilla Presley: Truth and honesty about my life. People always want to know about Elvis and me, and I keep it very open. They can ask whatever they want, and most of the questions are about him, his life, and the things people don’t usually get to hear.

Q: What’s the one question fans ask you the most?

Priscilla Presley: At every event, someone wants to know if Elvis was a good kisser. You’ll see hands go up, and if one person asks it, others say, “We were going to ask that!” It’s always a funny way to start, but it happens all the time.

Q: With so many versions of your story out there, why is it still important for you to share it in your own words?

Priscilla Presley: Because it’s coming directly from me. There’s no script, no writer, no actor in between. People have seen interpretations of my life, but when we’re in a room together and they can ask what they really want to know, they’re finally hearing my truth in my voice.

Q: How do you hope people feel when they walk out of the theater?

Priscilla Presley: I hope I’ve answered the questions they brought with them, and that they understand Elvis a little better. For me, the best part is that sense of talking directly to everyone — answering what most people want to know, but doing it in a way that feels personal and free.

Q: How did Elvis himself feel about his fans?

Priscilla Presley: He was incredibly grateful from the very beginning. Early on, he’d invite fans up to Graceland — they’d be in the backyard and he’d just hang out with them. You don’t see that today. He always said the fans made him who he was. He knew they were the ones who put him where he ended up, and he never took that for granted.

Priscilla Presley - An Evening of Magic, Memories, and Truth. Friday, April 10, 7:00 - 8:15 p.m., Sandhills Community College, Owens Auditorium, Pinehurst, NC. Info and tickets at www.ticketmesandhills.com

The Sandhills Fair

by auDrey moriarty

First held in October of 1914, the Sandhills Fair was sponsored by the Sandhills Board of Trade and the Sandhills Farmers Association. There was sewing, knitting, canning, gardening, woodworking and animal husbandry, all highlighting the work of nearby farms. After the first several years, it was held at the Fair Barn and Harness Track, where a large grandstand was built to accommodate crowds of as many as 3,000 spectators. The Pinehurst Outlook said the fair required “nothing more than a smile for admission” and “was a fair without a midway and doesn’t need one.”

One of the more popular activities was “auto polo,” invented around 1910 by Ralph “Pappy” Hankinson, a Ford dealer from Topeka, Kansas, hoping to increase his sales. Patterned after equestrian polo, matches featured four cars with two players per car: a driver and a “mallet man.” The cars were generally stripped-down Model Ts with no tops, doors or windshields. A regulation-sized basketball was used, although some venues manufactured even larger polo balls. The driver and mallet man had to guide the ball into a 5-foot-tall goal. The mallet men — and, periodically, the driver — were frequently ejected from the vehicle resulting in cuts, broken bones or being run over. Later, the cars were equipped with primitive roll bars above the driver.

The sport caught on in the U.S. but internationally it was viewed with caution and skepticism, being christened “a lunatic game.” Auto polo drew large crowds, but enthusiasm waned during the late 1920s due to the cost of the vehicles and the ensuing necessary repairs. PS

Audrey Moriarty is the Library Services and Archives director for the village of Pinehurst.

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Aries

(March 21 –April 19)

This month, you’re giving theatrical bravado — and we’re lap ping it up. Mars in your sign from April 9 through mid-May is the energy shot you didn’t need but surely won’t squander. Just don’t move so fast you miss a stellar career opportunity that aligns with your long-term goals. A friendly tip: Passion and impulse aren’t always synonymous. Now, channel your inner Freddie Mercury and watch the world respond.

Tea leaf “fortunes” for the rest of you:

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Taste as you go.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Double the recipe.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Best not to overextend yourself.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Slow down and proceed with wonder.

people who want to look like themselves — only better.

At Syringe & Sass Aesthetics, we focus on regenerative treatments that restore your skin and structure.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Go waffles-for-dinner wild.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Check the expiration date.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Try changing the lens.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Two words: flameless candles.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

It’s time to turn the compost.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Read the room, Darling.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Schedule the oil change. PS

Zora Stellanova lives in the N.C. mountains with her wolfdogs, Venus and Lilith. Although she prefers divining with loose-leaf pu-erh, she recommends a mugwort and passionflower blend for those seeking wisdom and clarity from dreams.

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David Michael Wolff leads The Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra in Masterworks: The Sorcerer's Apprentice, featuring young virtuoso, Maxwell Brown, violinist. Join us for a spellbinding evening of orchestral wonder!

Saturday, April 18, 2026 • 7:30 pm Owens Auditorium, Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, SCC

Get Tickets

Jeffrey and Lynda Acker

Micah Acton

Julia Ambersley

Marilyn Asmussen

Atex Technologies, Inc.

Amy Auckland

Sarah Bahner

Ballard Land and Timber Company, LLC

Ballard-Doby, Inc.

Battle House Tactical Laser Tag

Be Our Guest Travel Company

Belli Bambini

Berri Bowlful

John and Jennifer Berry

Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney

Botanicals, Carol Dowd

Bradford Portraits

Bradshaw Capital Management

Mary Breitenbeck

The Budd Group, Inc.

Busy Bee Pottery

Ren Callahan

Capel Rugs

Caribou Coffee

Carolina Ballet

Carolina Cinemas Sandhills Ten

Carolina Philharmonic

Kimberly Charters

Chick-Fil-A

Meg Church

Anderson Cloninger

Cassie Cloninger

Jesse and Brittany Collins

Color Street

CoolSweats

The Country Bookshop

Courtney’s Shoes

Crayola Experience

Andrew and Caroline Crompton

Tara Cuff

Cutler Tree

Heather Daily

The Dapper Dog

David Fernandez Stoneware

Deep River Sporting Clays and Shooting School

Denkers

Olivia DiMarzo

Dirtworks Pottery Pot

Nova Donovan

Amanda Duffy

Eagles & Angels Ltd.

Tom and Trish Elliott

Elliotts on Linden

Jacqui Enslin

Eve Avery

Evergreen Music Studio

First Bank

FirstHealth of the Carolinas

Ricky Fisher

Najee Fitzgerald

Five Point Farm

Five Points Pet Resort

Forte Fitness

Gabor Family

Beth Garrison

Gentlemen’s Corner

Georgia Aquarium

Ryan Gibbs ‘98 and Family

Donnie and Lorie Goins

Michael and Christine Gold

Goodnights Comedy Club

Gorjana Jewelry

Carol Green

Dr. Mark Griffies

Gryphon Group, Raven Advisory LLC

Matt Gutschmit ‘18, MMG Ceramics

Blanche Slade Hancock ‘88

Rafe Hardee

Debby and Bruce Hasson

Angelia Hayes Pottery

Hazel+Grace Rentals

Hickory Hill Pottery of Seagrove

High Octane Coffee

Abby Hiller

Lee Howell

Congressman Richard Hudson

Ikonic Kollection

Inaih Tannous

Inner Peaks Climbing

The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

The Island in Pigeon Forge

J. McLaughlin

Jack Hadden Floral & Event Design

Johnny O’s Awards

Jolo Winery

Rylee Jones

Ben and Shayna Jones

Kaleideum

Karma Spa Lounge & Beauty Bar

Keith Martindale Pottery

Mark Keith

Pam Keith

Mason Kinn

Ritt and Whitney Kuhn

Mary Kate Lambeth

Sally Larson

Lavender Market

Maddie Leland

Lily Rose

Limitless Meal Supply

Jared ‘97 and Pam Lina

James and Jermonica Lindsey

Lisi Italian

Mr. Steve Lisk

The Little Toy Shop

Janet Littlejohn-Kaufman

Liz Cox Music Studios

Dr. Kenneth Lota

Love Rose Boutique

Lisette Machin and Matt Wilson

Maren’s Fine Jewelry & More

Marie the Potter

The Market Place Restaurant

Taylor Mashburn

Mason’s Restaurant & Grocery

Pat McBride

Robert McCulloch

Judy McDonald

Michael McGowan ‘09

Brian and Konni McMurray

McNeill’s Pottery

Kayla McWhinney

Alex Modderno

Monkee’s of the Pines

Moore Dumplings, Hong Schulte Mosquito Authority

Museum of Life & Science

Jerry and Beverly O’Donnell

O’Neal Athletics Department

O’Neal PK3 - Mrs. Borland’s Class

O’Neal PK3 - Mrs. Vest and Mrs. Sutton’s Class

O’Neal PK4 - Mrs. Cutler’s Class

O’Neal PK4 - Ms. Rodriguez’s Class

O’Neal JK - Mrs. Bundy’s Class

O’Neal Kindergarten - Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Enslin’s Classes

O’Neal 1st Grade - Ms. Moore and Mrs. Davison’s Classes

O’Neal 2nd Grade - Mrs. Duffy’s Class

O’Neal 2nd Grade - Mrs. Helm’s Class

O’Neal 3rd Grade - Mrs. Ambersley’s Class

O’Neal 3rd Grade - Mrs. Daily’s Class

O’Neal 3rd Grade - Mrs. McDonald’s Art Class

O’Neal 4th Grade - Mrs. Pearsall’s Class

O’Neal 4th Grade - Mrs. Ramos’s Class

O’Neal Middle School Student Life

O’Neal Theater Department

Opulence of Southern Pines & Duxiana

O’Quinn Pottery

Oriental Trading

Ben Owen III

Amber Oxendine

Papa Blue Mixing and Music Studio, Dave Lussier

Paratus Outfitters

Michelle Parks

Megan and Greg Pearsall

The Pet Lodge at Pinehurst

Peter Millar

Phil Morgan Pottery

Pine Needles

Pine Scone Cafe

Pinehurst Medical Clinic Pulmonology

Pinehurst Resort

Pinewild Country Club

Plan it Better Travel

Quaintance Weaver Restaurants

Andre and Sarah Ranadive

Retriever Home Services

Reverie Cocktails

Erin Reville

River Jack Outdoor Trading Co.

Teresa Salter

Sandhills Gymnastics

Sandhills Trolley Company

Jen Schmitz

Dominic Scrivner

Seven Lakes Dentistry

Shanna Campbell Photography

Kim Shaw

Sheetz Community Engagement Team

Sky Zone Apex

South Carolina Stingray Hockey

Southern Angels

Randy and Jill Saunders of Southern Pines Provision Ace

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The Forest Primeval

Finding identity in a Hemlock

By A nne Blythe

Midway through

Melissa Faliveno’s

Hemlock: A Novel, her protagonist, Sam, awakens after a night of many beers and shots, disoriented in the thick of the Wisconsin Northwoods.

The ground is wet with dew. Damp leaves cling to her body. She has no idea where she is nor how she got there. On the forest floor where she finds herself, far below the canopy above, small shade-tolerant trees and plants survive in the low light, providing a vital layer of sustenance for the wildlife living among them. As Sam emerges from her oblivion, confused but unafraid, the word “understory” pops into her mind.

“She whispered the word to herself and thought of things that live in the light, and things that live in the dark. How whole worlds and realities can exist in things unspoken and unseen,” Faliveno writes. “How there’s a story told aloud, in the open, above the surface of things, and there’s a story beneath it, that one must look much harder to find.”

Hemlock, Faliveno’s debut novel, is as layered as the Northwoods, a vast expanse of dense coniferous and hardwood forests, glacial lakes and rustic cabins and cottages. It’s a story of self-discovery — a dreamlike exploration into addiction, inherited generational trauma, gender identity and sexuality. It’s also a story that defies genre.

In Hemlock, Faliveno, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill creative writing professor, pulls from Gothic tropes:

a gloomy cabin in an isolated area, a non-traditional damsel in distress, ancestral curses and a talking deer that —no matter how hokey it sounds — works. At the same time it’s a love story, sinister and sultry, and a tribute to nature that teeters between reality and fantasy.

We meet Sam, a 38-year-old Wisconsinite, when she’s had 10 stable, booze-free months with her boyfriend, Stephen, and their cat, Monster. She’s on her way from their Brooklyn apartment to “Hemlock,” her family’s desolate cabin nestled in the heart of the Northwoods. Once a place of family togetherness for Sam and her parents, a creepy vibe had settled into the cabin ever since her mother’s eerie walk into the woods, never to be seen again.

As the miles and days roll by, Sam’s fragile grip on reality becomes even more tenuous. In her dreams, the cabin is a huge “hulking, looking thing with endless doors and hallways, walls that seemed to breathe; a maze of passages that changed shape and stretched on forever; into nothing.” In reality, it is “a normal little house, with four normal walls, a normal little porch and chimney” that her father built for retirement but now is ready to sell.

As Sam replaces broken floorboards and repairs things, she’s living in virtual seclusion, a marked difference from the urban frenzy of New York City. The rot of the cottage and surrounding area hollowed out by recession creeps into her mind and she begins to slip back into old behaviors. Just one beer turns into one more. Then a sixpack. Then one brandy old-fashioned, and another before an empty bottle awaits her on the counter in the morning. Amid the slip from sobriety, Sam wrestles with whether she wants

OMNIVOROUS READER

STAY IN THE GAME THIS SPRING

to return to her boyfriend, her job as a magazine editor and the life she built in New York.

The novel — a probe of the indecipherable space between one place and another, one gender and another, one sexuality and another and past and present— is not always an easy read. It can be frustrating and exhausting watching Sam settle into a buzz that, no matter how hard she tries, cannot quiet the persistent whisper of her emotional unraveling.

Can the Midwest she fled ever be home again? Does she identify as a man, woman or something else more fluid that’s

. . . it’s a love story, sinister and sultry, and a tribute to nature that teeters between reality and fantasy.

not so easily defined? Can she eschew the booze that is part of her culture and escape the throes of addiction passed down from her grandmother to her mother and on to her?

Somehow, though, Faliveno’s vivid and descriptive writing keeps pulling you back in. She makes you feel like a confidant, a trusted but objective friend who can help Sam as she tries to break free from the expectations of a world with deeply entrenched norms and stereotypes.

Faliveno is very introspective, pondering a wide range of topics, any one of which probably could have anchored a book. Despite the dark themes in Hemlock, there is beauty in the ugliness and light in the understory. PS

Anne Blythe has been a reporter in North Carolina for more than three decades covering city halls, higher education, the courts, crime, hurricanes, ice storms, droughts, floods, college sports, health care and the many wonderful characters who make this state such an interesting place.

April at Weymouth Center

Also, this month at Weymouth Center

Wed., April 1: 11:00 am Thu., April 9: 2:00 pm Sun., April 12: 11:00 am Sun., April 12: 4:00 pm Sat., April 18: 12:00 pm Tue., April 21: 2:00 pm

Wed., April 22: 5:30 pm Tue., April 28: 6:00 pm Wed. April 29: 4:00 pm

« Sun., April 26: 2:00 pm Come Sunday Jazz: Butler Knowles Saturday MAY 2, 2026

Women of Weymouth Meeting: Jason Harpster

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FICTION

Go Gentle, by Maria Semple

April Books

the German by Charlotte Collins, Seethaler’s The Last Movement is a haunting, tender portrait of a great artist confronting his farewell to life.

Adora Hazzard has it all figured out. A Stoic philosopher and divorcée, she lives a contented life on New York City’s Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have, she’s applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter, the freedom of being solo, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She’s even assembled a “coven” — like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia — and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora’s carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. Soon, her ordered world is upended by black market art deals, a secret rendezvous and international intrigue. Her past — which she has worked so hard to bury — lands like a bomb in her present. Inflamed by unquenchable desire, Adora finds herself a woman wanting more, and she’ll risk everything to get it.

The Last Movement, by Robert Seethaler

In the spring of 1910, Gustav Mahler — wrapped in a wool blanket — sits on the deck of the Amerika, sailing back to Europe. The ocean around him is gray and endless, the air sharp with wind and steel. Not yet 50, Mahler is already a legend. In Vienna and New York, audiences fight for tickets to see the restless, small man who commands the most stubborn orchestra in the world. Yet his fame is shadowed by illness. His body is failing and his wife, Alma, has fallen in love with another man, the young architect Walter Gropius. Mahler has begged, humiliated himself, tried everything to keep her. Nothing worked, except the certainty of his approaching death. Alma has stayed, tending to him with care, perhaps to ease his final passage. On board, Mahler reflects on life, art and above all, love. Translated from

NONFICTION

Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces that Shape Your Life, by Alex Mayyasi

The hosts of NPR’s Planet Money join longtime contributor Mayyasi to present brand-new stories and insights gathered from more than a decade of reporting, revealing ways AI might help you or replace you, demystify dating markets, and showing how pro sports’ “dumbest” contract holds the secret to building wealth. They take readers on adventures to a smartphone factory in Patagonia, a raisin cartel in California, and an Indigenous reserve in Canada that might just have a solution for the housing crisis. Planet Money shows how economics shapes our world, and how we can harness key principles to make our own lives a little richer.

Joyful, Anyway, by Kate Bowler

We live in a culture convinced that chasing happiness will optimize our bodies, our minds, our relationships, our lives. But in the meantime, bad news usually stays bad: Illness, chronic pain, grief and disappointment don’t obey our timelines or vision boards. We are left wondering why, if we’re doing everything right, life still feels so hard. Joyful, Anyway proves that experiencing joy does not depend on resolving everything that makes life difficult. Drawing on a decade of living with serious illness and a lifetime studying America’s obsession with progress, Joyful gives language for the ache we all carry and practices for loosening control, introducing novelty, choosing charity, and staying open to the surprising, technicolor moments that pull us back into life. Joy reminds us that no matter what, life is still worth loving.

There must be . . . A SUN THIEF! With vibrant art and captivating characters, the magic of summer’s changes is captured beautifully on each page as readers tag along on Squirrel’s forest adventure. Is there truly a sun thief on the loose, or is something else going on? A perfect exploration of change — both seasonal, and the anxiety that change sometimes

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching

a cookie, and the perfect hat is a yellow Now I See Spring celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes — and shows why it’s their favorite time of year. Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws, man

Knuckling Under

The fabulous flutterball

By Bill Fields

My baseball career ended at 13 after I suddenly became afraid of the ball during my first season in Pony League, the destination in those days after aging out of Little League. At the lower level, I’d been a dependable third baseman with no fear at the hot corner even when the strongest boys with the quickest bats came to the plate 60 feet away. There were plenty of “5-3” notations in the Braves’ clay-dusted scorebook.

In a year I went from All-Star to also-ran and, in short order, out of the sport. No more seasoning my glove with castor oil before the first practice. No more Bazooka bubbles between batters. My knuckleball retired with me.

That’s because in addition to my years as an infielder at the sweet little ballfield across Morganton Road from the National Guard Armory in Southern Pines, a dearth of pitchers my last season meant I was recruited to take the mound when I wasn’t playing third.

Possessing a fast ball which wasn’t very speedy and not being able to throw a curve ball — couldn’t hit one either — I had been messing around with a knuckleball in the neighborhood well before using a rosin bag and stepping on the pitching rubber for the first time.

With the knuckles of my index and middle fingers of my right hand touching the ball instead of a normal grip — some early knuckleballers had thrown the pitch that way, but later skilled practitioners used their fingertips — I discovered the ball did funny things when thrown.

With a knuckler, a pitch could become a magic act. And it helped a kid with an average arm sit down some batters. Because the unique grip minimizes spin, a ball can’t make up its mind when you throw it. The aerodynamics — most of the time — make its flight unpredictable. A knuckler flutters in flight, mimicking a butterfly, its destination uncertain. The mystery novel of pitches, it has confounded generations of hitters

and catchers with devilish dances and darting movements.

“The knuckleball,” wrote the famous sportswriter Jimmy Cannon, “is a curve ball that doesn’t give a damn.”

Joe Torre, sometimes tasked with being on the receiving end of the can’t-make-up-its-mind pitch for part of his long and distinguished career in the major leagues, said, “You don’t catch a knuckleball, you defend against it.”

Toad Ramsey, a 19th century pitcher, is cited by some historians as the originator of the fluttering, frustrating pitch, but the ballplayer who first brought a lot of attention to it was Eddie “Knuckles” Cicotte, of the Chicago White Sox. Cicotte possessed a legendary repertoire of junk pitches, a knuckleball among them, before being caught up in the scandal of 1919, when he admitted being one of eight Chicago players taking cash to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

My youth coincided with the final seasons of the 21-year knuckleballing career of Hoyt Wilhelm, the most famous athlete to come out of Huntersville, N.C., north of Charlotte, before Drake Maye, the current New England Patriots quarterback. Like successful knuckleballers who followed, Wilhelm, the first relief pitcher to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame, lasted a long time, appearing in more than 1,000 games and retiring when he was just shy of 50.

Other top knuckleballers enjoyed similarly lengthy and successful careers because the slower pitch is less stressful on the arm: Wilbur Wood, Charlie Hough, Phil and Joe Niekro, R.A. Dickey and Tim Wakefield among them. In 1973, Wood started both games of a doubleheader; knuckleball pitchers can pitch on little rest and don’t have to ice their arm after games.

Despite the plusses, fewer than a hundred major leaguers have thrown the baffling pitch. Speed has become the realm of modern baseball. A lone knuckleball pitcher, Matt Waldron, of the San Diego Padres, is on a MLB roster at the start of this season. The pitch that the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Willie Stargell referred to as “a butterfly with hiccups” is practically grounded, its vexing vagaries left to history. PS

Southern Pines native Bill Fields, who writes about golf and other things, moved north in 1986 but hasn’t lost his accent.

By tommy tomlinson

Every year

I mark it on the calendar when it arrives: porch season.

Sweet Spot

A place to watch the world

This year we got a dose in the middle of February. We always get a brief false spring right around then. You know winter is coming back for another round so you get outside while you can.

It was 74 degrees one day, 83 the next, and my wife and I took to the porch in the afternoons. The porch was one of the main reasons we bought this old house. It was built in 1929, ancient in a modern city of teardowns. When we got the place the porch was half caved in — it had a big crack in the concrete, running down the middle. We got it resurfaced, and over the last 22 years, and two sets of porch furniture, we’ve spent untold thousands of hours out here.

There are some neighbors we see only when we’re on the porch. They stop by and chat on their way to get a beer down the street, or just on their evening walk. Sometimes they come to browse the books in our Little Free Library. Not long after we put the library in, a young couple with a little girl would stop by a few times a week. An older neighbor noticed, found out the girl’s name, and started leaving books in there with notes for her. Then the couple discovered that the older woman had a dog and started leaving treats for the dog. I’m not sure that couple and that woman ever

met. But those little gifts meant the world to them. And to us.

A year or two ago, a waterlogged branch fell off our oak tree in a storm and knocked out the library. We had it rebuilt. You can’t let go of a thing that gives you a story like that.

The porch is our party line, our message board, the place we catch up on news and gossip.

It’s where we learn who moved out and who moved in, who got sick and who’s doing better. We have watched children grow from here, and watched other neighbors age.

This winter was a hard one. We had an ice storm one weekend and 11 inches of snow the next. Other parts of the state got it even worse. We got lucky at our house — the power never went out and the pipes didn’t freeze. But man, a winter storm in the South can be lonely. We went entire days without seeing another soul. My wife is from Wisconsin and cheerfully tells stories about having to shovel the driveway every hour when they had one of their regular blizzards. Some people down here — mostly transplants — take to the snow like golden retrievers. The rest of us just hunker.

A week or so after the last snow melted, I saw the shoots of one of our daffodils poking through the dirt. And I knew porch weather was coming.

I have spent some time over the years developing a theory about why the South is believed to be, let’s say, more eccentric than other parts of the country. I call it the Crazy Aunt Theory. In colder places, if you have a crazy aunt, you can just

stick her in the attic. But our summers are too hot for that. So we put our crazy aunts on the porch where they can talk to God and everybody.

The porch takes us back to those looser, closer times. You don’t have to text anybody from the porch. You don’t need to look up their socials to see what they’ve been doing. They are voice and flesh, standing right in front of you, having real conversations. Sometimes, if somebody has a few minutes, they’ll come up on the porch and actually sit with us. Crazy, right? Spending time together, in person? And we will sit there with glasses of sweet tea, or possibly bourbon, and talk about — well, maybe, nothing. Some days nothing is the best thing to talk about.

And sometimes we are silent because there is so much to see.

There’s a movie from the ’90s called Smoke that features a character named Augie who runs a little tobacco shop in Brooklyn. Every morning at 8, he takes a single photo of the street corner outside. One of the other characters thinks this is the dumbest thing he’s ever heard . . . until he looks through an album of Augie’s photos. Slowly he notices the little differences, the way the light changes, the weather, the people walking through the frame. He is deeply moved.

That’s the way I think about our porch.

magnolia on the corner bloom and fade. I can see the wrens who show up every year to build a nest under one of the eaves, making a warm space for their babies: first eggs, then hatchlings, then gone. I can see the lizards who slink out from under the house to sun themselves on the warm concrete. I can turn around the camera and see Alix sitting next to me. We who moved here in our 40s and are now in our 60s and hope to still be around in our 80s.

That second warm day in February, two bluebirds floated into the branches of the ornamental cherry tree in our front yard. Our neighborhood is full of cardinals and robins and swallows. Hawks watch over us from the tops of the trees, and owls call to one another at night. But we don’t get many bluebirds. They felt like a promise. The hard winter was coming to an end. Soon it would be porch season for real. We could live out here again — not virtually, not digitally, but through the rich and beautiful panorama of real life. PS

Tommy Tomlinson is the author of two books, The Elephant in the Room and Dogland. He was a longtime columnist for the Charlotte Observer and has written for Esquire, The Atlantic, ESPN the Magazine and many other publications. His online newsletter is called The Writing Shed. He lives in Charlotte with his

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Potluck Go-To

Piece of cake for a buffet

story A nd P hotogr APh By rose shewey

Gatherings at our house are a wellpracticed routine: We provide all food and drink, you just show up in your party hat. In fact, don’t bring anything at all. From first course to last, wine included, we have it covered. I have always been inclined to encourage our guests to come empty-handed, but one fateful Easter brunch solidified my stance on the matter.

A few years ago, we spent Easter Sunday at a friend’s house — a classic potluck affair. One by one, we arranged our dishes on the dining table, complimenting each other’s handiwork. Then one of the guests slid a half-eaten, shriveled quiche onto the table. As we awkwardly eyeballed his contribution, quiche-guy paused, then retrieved his tray. “I should probably taste this first to make sure it’s still good,” he said cheerfully, then added with a shrug, “Leftovers from last weekend!” Off he went to the kitchen, clattering around for a fork to sample his contribution.

And yes, he decided in favor of the quiche and boldly brought it back to the table to share. That was enough to set my house rules in stone: I cook, you eat, the end.

Although potlucks are a bit of a gamble, if called upon, I will faithfully bring a dish to a friend’s house. I have a number of stand-by offerings I typically prepare, but recently I have truly been enjoying sheet pancakes, or skillet pancakes, which are an excellent addition to buffets when kids are included. Instead of flipping cakes for half an hour, you just pour the batter right into a skillet, bake it for 25 minutes or so, and you’re done.

And don’t stop there! Who says pancakes have to be sweet? Try this savory version with herbs and whipped goat cheese — or create your own medley of spring flavors. PS

German native Rose Shewey is a food stylist and food photographer. To see more of her work visit her website at suessholz.com.

Savory Skillet Pancakes with Garden Herbs and Whipped Goat Cheese (Serves 4)

For the whipped goat cheese:

8 ounces fresh goat cheese (chèvre)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose Einkorn flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk (dairy-free, if desired)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter or melted coconut oil

1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, dill, basil

Optional toppings:

Boiled eggs, prosciutto, sprouts, diced cucumber and radishes, pine nuts, more fresh herbs and scallions for serving.

Method

To make the whipped goat cheese, add all ingredients except for the chives to the bowl of your stand mixer or, if using a handheld mixer, to a medium size bowl. Whip until the cheese is smooth and creamy, then fold in chives and transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the skillet pancakes, preheat oven to 375F. If using a cast iron skillet (10-inch), set it in the oven while it heats. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk egg with milk, yogurt and butter. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet mixture and whisk briefly to smooth out the batter. Fold in scallions and herbs. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is cooked through. Serve with whipped goat cheese and toppings of your choice.

Jack and Coke

story A nd P hotogr APh By tony Cross

The Jack and Coke is, and has been, widely ordered at bars for almost a century. It was the go-to drink of my late brother and my father, who recently passed away, so this is an homage to them.

The first recorded mention of a “Coca-Cola highball” stretches all the way back to 1907. Highballs — cocktails in tall glasses that contain ice, spirit and some variation of soda — were popular but the quality of other sodas was inconsistent. Every location formulated its own drinks; syrups would be improperly stored (lack of refrigeration or ice), leading to a loss of flavor; CO2 variations would leave drinks flat or too acidic from over-carbonation. This gave Coca-Cola an advantage: It tasted the same every time.

Fast forward to the Prohibition years and you’ll read how cola was masking bad-tasting spirits, especially whiskey. This is where Jack Daniel’s came in. The way it charcoal-filtered its whiskey made it softer around the edges, also giving it notes of vanilla and caramel. Pairing that with the sweetness of Coke made the drink an instant classic.

A decade later, the United States was in the middle of a world war. Coca-Cola President Robert Woodruff declared his intention “to see that every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for 5 cents, wherever he is and whatever it costs the company.” In turn, soldiers started ordering Jack and Cokes when they were at bars until the whiskey became hard to find. Down the line, the drink became a favorite of everyone from musicians like Frank Sinatra and Lemmy Kilmister to my father and little brother, who all raised a glass of Jack and Coke during some of the best times of their lives.

Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola didn’t create whiskey and soda, but they made it iconic. PS

Tony Cross is an on-again, off-again bartender who founded and runs Reverie Cocktails, a kegged cocktail distribution company that has been represented everywhere from dive bars to baseball stadiums.

Specifications

1 1/2 ounces Jack Daniel’s No. 7 Whiskey

4-6 ounces Coca-Cola

Execution

Add ice and whiskey in a short or tall glass. Top with ice cold Coca-Cola. A quick stir is optional.

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Drama! Stat!

Blood on demand

By deBor A h sAlomon

A man clutches his throat and falls to the floor of the church/theater/stadium. “Is there a doctor in the house?”

You bet. He/she, almost life-sized, hangs on the family room wall, surrounded by hospital personnel and patients in various stages of maladies du jour.

Long live the medical drama!

Google, er, cough up Marcus Welby, Ben Casey, Doc Martin, Doogie Howser, Dr. Quinn operating on Chicago Med, Chicago Hope, Brilliant Minds, Nip/Tuck, St. Elsewhere, New Amsterdam and dozens more. Some mildly entertaining, slightly informative. Others silly and manipulative. Now, the genre has come full circle led by — yes! — Noah Wyle, who earned his TV-MD as Dr. John Carter on ER.

Now, Wyle’s back as Dr. Michael Robinavitch, the bearded, graying chief resident at a busy Pittsburgh hospital known only as The Pitt, hence the name of the show. Meek ’n’ mild Carter, now irascible, overplays every emotion. He hugs, he storms, he whines, he cries and comforts for which he cleaned up at the Emmys, both as an actor and as a producer/director.

Never mind that the jargon is spit out faster than viewers can absorb, let alone comprehend.

Each episode covers a shift, 8 a.m. till whenever. The cases, mostly emergencies, vary: a snatched-from-the-headlines mass shooting, to an autistic young man’s ankle broken while playing Ping-Pong, to a fistfight (two women) in the waiting room, to a cringe-worthy birth and several deaths. Lots of profanity, of course (cable On Demand), but how about this foray during opening credits — “nudity in a medical setting.”

Fear not, there’s nothing erotic about watching a corpulent lady soak in an ice bath.

The only familiar face is Wyle’s. None of his fellow actors suf-

fered carryover from lawyer shows. But they did display diversity: Latino, Indian, Asian, Black, Caucasian, young, ripped, paunchy, bald, beards and assorted ethnic head coverings.

The hour raced by. I loved it.

My primary bone to pick, so to speak: blood everywhere. On the injured, of course, but spilling off the gurneys onto the floor, running down white fabric and clear plastic gowns, soaking through bed linens? The janitor mopping it up reminded me of the gravedigger scene from Hamlet.

Then, the soundtrack is loud and mostly jargon. I missed many words but, oh, the rolling eyes, the knowing looks. The scary part, assuming situations are realistic and thoroughly vetted, is outcome uncertainty in a busy teaching hospital.

By now you’ve guessed that I’m still a cable subscriber so I endure the ads for prescription drugs. The list of contraindications, it seems, is longer than the benefits, and sometimes ends in death. Yet the medication itself is described in glowing terms by happy, healthy actors. Recently 150-year-old Eli Lilly spent a bundle reimaging itself as “a medicine company” with the m-word replacing scarier “drug.’’ Their TV spokespeople are more likely dairy farmers than stockbrokers. Their profits, just imagine.

I asked a local physician about the dire tech stuff. He said it’s for protection in court proceedings.

“You were warned!”

Another warning: I’m not sure The Pitt will survive many seasons . . . too much medical, not enough drama. Although to its credit, the hour left me with a splitting headache. PS

Deborah Salomon is a contributing writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

Harbingers of Spring

Return of the swooping swallows

By susA n CA mPBell

As the days lengthen and the air begins to warm, many of us look forward to the return of migrant songbirds. Dozens of species that breed here spend their winters far to the south, and dozens more spend time feeding here as they migrate to summer haunts in New England and points further north. Of these, the first to return in central North Carolina are the swallows. In early April it’s possible to see six different species: barn, rough-winged, tree, bank and cliff, as well as the more familiar purple martin. And since swallows move in mixed flocks at this time of year, encountering three or four kinds in close proximity is not unusual.

Swallows are almost exclusively insectivorous and are built to catch their prey on the wing. They have strong pointed wings and forked tails, which allow for excellent aerial maneuverability. Except for adult male martins, they are all dark on top and light colored below. But each species has a characteristic flight pattern that can be used to identify it even if field marks cannot be discerned. Modern field guides include descriptions of the patterns — where a species flies and how it flies (the combination of flapping and soaring) are unique. This is very helpful, since swallows spend most of their time on the wing and tend to be quite high in the air so plumage is difficult, if not impossible, to see. Without a doubt, the best place to find swallows is around water, where insects are most abundant during the warmer months. If one is lucky and there is a snag or wire adjacent to a wet area, the birds may be perched at close range, which should make for ideal viewing conditions. Except for purple martins, sexes are identical. To the human eye, male and female size, coloration and behavior are the same. However, you may be able to pick out the drabber plumage of a juvenile in late summer if you have a pair of binoculars — and a good bit of patience.

Purple martins are the largest of the group and have the darkest feathering. Adult males are a distinctive bluish-black. Females and second-year males have some blue feathering on the back and head but are mainly a dingy gray. Juveniles will be a paler gray with little or no blue feathers in late summer.

Barn swallows have a dark bluish back, orange face and yellowish underparts. They also have a deeply forked tail. Given this superior rudder, they are capable of low and erratic flight, scooping up insects close to water level or over large grassy expanses such as horse pastures or golf course fairways.

By comparison, rough-winged swallows are stocky and brown above, whitish below with a drab, buffy throat. They spend a lot of time soaring high in the air and, therefore, have a more squared-off tail.

Bank, tree and cliff swallows are less likely to be encountered in central North Carolina. All three have less distinct plumage and short, forked tails. Bank swallows, who may be found in the western part of the state, have light brown backs, thinner wings and quick wing beats. Tree swallows have dark green backs, broad, long wings and more direct flight behavior with less wheeling involved. Increasingly, they can be found using tree cavities or nest boxes near large bodies of water in the northern Piedmont. And they are quite common in the coastal plain. Cliff swallows, which resemble barn swallows with a short tail and a pale rump patch, fly more deliberately, with slightly slower, more powerful strokes. They favor the protection of overhangs associated with man-made structures such as bridges and overpasses to affix their unique mud nests. Interestingly, for reasons we are not sure of, cliffs are being found in more locations across the state each season.

Although these little birds are well-engineered for flight, they are not known for their song. In fact, their vocalizations consist of short raspy or mechanical calls. Nevertheless, swallows can be quite noisy, whether they are migrating as a flock or in pairs defending a breeding territory. Try to remember to listen and look up this spring; you might just spot some fancy fliers. PS

Susan Campbell would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by email at susan@ncaves.com.

Chorus in the Forest

The maniacal echoes of the owls of spring

story A nd P hotogr APhs By todd P usser

The hoots rang out loud and clear, stopping me in my tracks. Squinting into the midday sun, I stared intently in the direction of a tall pine tree. After a few seconds, the hoots echoed through the branches once again, with distinctive barred owl flare, “Who cooks for you?” I smiled. It was my first time hearing this bird of prey on my great-grandfather’s property in Eagle Springs, near the headwaters of Drowning Creek. Just across the creek, a second owl quickly responded. “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you allllll?”

Up ahead, a shadowy silhouette launched from the pine and flew across the creek, disappearing into a dense thicket of hardwoods. Loud hoots and screeches erupted as the mated pair of raptors greeted one another. For the uninitiated, a maniacal chorus of courting owls can raise the hair on the back of one’s neck. Their otherworldly calls have led to widespread fear and superstition. Many cultures view the nocturnal birds as omens of bad luck. Hearing one means death is near. For me, the calls indicate a healthy and functioning ecosystem.

Of our region’s three common breeding owl species, the barred owl, eastern screech owl, and the great horned owl, it is the barred owl that is the most ubiquitous. This is partly due to

the barred owl’s propensity to announce its presence with questioning hoots throughout the day, unlike their more nocturnal brethren. This is especially true during the warm afternoons of spring, when the owls are in the middle of their breeding season and are busy raising chicks.

Standing nearly 20 inches tall, barred owls are big birds. Their feathers are dense and streaked in colors of coffee and cream. Barred owls possess large ear openings — even for owls — which are set asymmetrically on the sides of their head. This offset enables them to triangulate on sound with near supernatural precision. Unlike myself, barred owls are impervious to age-related hearing loss.

Listening to the owls cackling back and forth to each other I wondered if a nest might be nearby. I quickly glanced around for one. Barred owls rarely build their own nests, choosing instead to raise their families in hollow snags or tree cavities.

Years back, I spent several afternoons watching a pair of barred owl chicks in the broken-off snag of a tulip poplar in the heart of Morrow Mountain State Park. The nest was just 20 feet off the ground and made for easy viewing. From a respectful distance, I spent hours observing, and occasionally photographing, the antics of the chicks and noting the prey items brought to the nest by the adults. I remember being surprised at how many crayfish the adults fed their young.

Barred owls are generalist feeders with diverse tastes. Their menu rivals that of any Cheesecake Factory. They will eat pretty much anything that they can get their talons on. Beetles, bunnies, squirrels, mice, rats, moles, millipedes, cicadas, frogs, even

THE NATURALIST

screech owls have been recorded as prey. A 30-year study of barred owls in downtown Charlotte found that songbirds, such as cardinals and bluebirds, featured predominantly in their urban diet. A friend of mine once photographed one eating a rough green snake at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Another friend watched a barred owl catch a large, 2-foot long, eel-like salamander known as a two-toed amphiuma, from a roadside ditch bordering Drowning Creek in the Sandhills. Barred owls like to eat local.

After a few minutes, the owl chorus died down. The forest was silent once again. I decided to walk toward a spot where I had placed a trail camera on the side of a small tree overlooking the creek. Over the years, this particular camera has captured some unusual barred owl behavior. Of particular interest was an owl that would land on a sunny spot of sand next to the creek, right in the middle of the day. It would lay down flat on the ground and stretch out its wings to either side. Then the owl would close its eyes and throw its head back, obviously enjoying the warmth of the sunlight. It did this for a week, at nearly the same time every afternoon. A biologist later told me that the sunbathing owl was likely trying to rid its feathers of parasites.

I spent much of the afternoon looking for the owl’s nest, traversing from one side of the farm to the other, but to no avail. Unfortunately, work took me away the rest of that spring and I was never able to get back to the property and confirm if the pair of barred owls had indeed raised a family.

These events happened nearly 10 years ago. Capable of living to more than 20 years of age, barred owls are long-lived birds. It is possible the same pair are still hunting the creek down on my greatgrandfather’s farm. Perhaps this April, I will make another trip out there and get reacquainted with the owls of spring. PS

Naturalist and photographer Todd Pusser grew up in Eagle Springs. He works to document the extraordinary diversity of life both near and far. His images can be found at www.ToddPusser.com.

A Family Legacy

Right at home in the Hall of Fame

By lee PACe

It began with a press release in April 1981 that a new Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame had been created, and the venture continued with an inaugural inductee banquet on June 1 at the Southern Pines Elks Club. All five of those first inductees as designated by a committee headed by Jack Horner of the Durham Herald-Sun and composed of members of the now-defunct Carolinas Golf Reporters Association had some connection to Pinehurst and the Sandhills.

Richard Tufts was the grandson of Pinehurst founder James W. Tufts, a former president of the USGA and a noted authority on the Rules of Golf.

Donald Ross lived in Pinehurst after moving from Dornoch on the northeast coast of Scotland in 1900 through his death in 1948, and designed seven Sandhills area courses and just under 400 nationwide in a prolific career.

Harvie Ward and Billy Joe Patton were North Carolina natives and golfing bon vivants, playing with style and spirit and winking to the gallery while making birdies. Between them, they won four North & South Amateurs from 1948 to 1963.

And Estelle Lawson Page ruled the Women’s North & South Amateur from 1937 to 1945, winning six of nine over that period.

Seventy-five more golfers have entered the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame (now under the auspices of the Carolinas Golf Association) since then. In the early days, plaques commemorating their inclusion were housed at Seven Lakes Country Club at the behest of Peter Tufts, the Seven Lakes course designer and son of

Richard. Later the display moved to Pine Needles Lodge, where it was housed in 2007, when it moved to its current home.

Pinehurst Resort management in the 1990s expanded the 1900 Carolina Hotel eastward with two major projects — the Grand Ballroom as the centerpiece to an expansive new meeting center, and then the spa and fitness center. One elongated hallway leading from the hotel’s East Wing to the ballroom afforded an important opportunity. The resort offered use of one wall for the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame. Over the next quarter century, the exhibition has grown to 82 members and was recently reorganized to provide additional wall space for the Hall of Fame to grow.

This year the owners of the resort for the last 42 years took their place along that hallway.

Inducted in mid-February were Robert Dedman Sr., whose Club Corporation of America bought the resort in 1984, and Robert Dedman Jr., who took the baton upon his father’s death in 2002 and has guided Pinehurst to unparalleled heights in the last dozen years.

“The Dedmans’ impact cannot be measured simply by courses renovated, courses built or championships hosted but some-

thing far more lasting — stewardship,” said longtime family friend and former USGA President Jim Hyler in introducing Dedman Jr. during the induction ceremony held, appropriately enough, in the Grand Ballroom. “They have not only owned the Pinehurst Resort but cared for it. They understood Pinehurst is not just a destination but a trust, passed from one generation to the next, carrying with it the soul of the game itself.”

Also inducted was Jack Nance, the recently retired executive director of the Carolinas Golf Association, which has been headquartered since the 1980s in the Sandhills area. Nance in his remarks paid tribute to what the Dedmans had meant not only to Pinehurst but the region and the state of North Carolina having hosted four U.S. Opens, one U.S. Women’s Open and offering land between the Carolina Hotel and its golf clubhouses for the USGA’s new Golf House Pinehurst and World Golf Hall of Fame.

“What your family has done for golf here in the Carolinas is extraordinary and permanent,” Nance said. “From bringing the U.S. Open to Pinehurst to what we see today across Moore County — the USGA Hall of Fame and satellite headquarters, the massive road renovations, and the never-ending projects, the economic boom — it all traces back to your family’s vision. Your award tonight is well earned, and your legacy will be long-lived.”

Dedman Jr. said his family’s long involvement at Pinehurst had “been a labor of love for two generations” and told of his father’s humble upbringing in Arkansas, his G.I. Bill financed law degree after World War II and his entrepreneurial instincts that hit in the early 1950s. Dedman was playing golf in Palm Springs, California, at a golf community that featured three courses and one central clubhouse operation and it occurred to him that the model could work in a metropolitan area like his own home in Dallas. That launched the idea for Brookhaven Country Club, which opened in 1957 and was the first domino to fall in what would become ClubCorp — a mas-

GOLFTOWN JOURNAL

sive global operation with country clubs and city clubs around the world.

“Over the next 50 years, ClubCorp became a world leader,” Dedman said. “My father raised and elevated the standards of excellence in the club industry. He democratized the industry, making clubs more affordable and accessible, clubs that were exclusive but not exclusionary. That has been a guiding principle since the beginning.”

The initiative of Dedman Sr. was restoration — rebuild the facilities that included having a chef fall through a kitchen floor, cultivate quality playing surfaces on the golf courses, bring championship golf back to Pinehurst, add new courses in Nos. 7 and 8 and expand the room inventory with the acquisition of village of Pinehurst properties such as the Holly Inn and Manor Inn.

The initiative of Dedman Jr. has been transformation — green light the restoration of the No. 2 course back to its early 1900s character of bouncy fairways and perimeters of natural hardpan sand and wire grass, redesign and re-engineer No. 4 in a similar fashion, add The Cradle short course and launch a major expansion south toward Aberdeen that will include courses No. 10 and 11. Dedman noted the company has invested some $250 million over the last five years in the facility.

“And there’s more to come,” he said. “These are exciting times in Pinehurst.”

That Pinehurst has had just three owners over 131 years (the Tufts, Maxton native Malcolm McLean and the Dedmans) is remarkable — even more so that one family has been constant for the last four-decades plus.

“In recent years, Bob talks about wanting to be the soul of American golf,” Hyler said. “The Dedmans have been caretakers of an unbelievable asset. I am glad they’re being properly recognized for many years of stability and leadership.” PS

Lee Pace has written about the Pinehurst experience for more than three decades from his home in Chapel Hill. Write him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.

Letter to the Person Who Carved His Initials into the Oldest Living Longleaf Pine in North America

Tell me what it’s like to live without curiosity, without awe. To sail on clear water, rolling your eyes at the kelp reefs swaying beneath you, ignoring the flicker of mermaid scales in the mist, looking at the world and feeling only boredom. To stand on the precipice of some wild valley, the eagles circling, a herd of caribou booming below, and to yawn with indifference. To discover something primordial and holy. To have the smell of the earth welcome you to everywhere. To take it all in, and then, to reach for your knife.

— Matthew Olzmann

Matthew Olzmann is the author of three poetry anthologies. He is currently an assistant professor in the department of English and creative writing at Dartmouth College.

Poem in Which I Carve Your Name in a Very Tall and Very Old Longleaf Pine

Taking on love’s task, I reach for my knife, peck at the layers of gray-black pine bark. All our years flake away under my blade;

I want to leave some symbol of the life we made, scratch back even to our darker times. I know my labor’s odd, retrograde,

but then this tree, like me, like you, can stand a scar or two. Cutting in, I know I’ll never reach the heart, but carve an image —

a sign, I wish, I hope and imagine, will be found by some other lovers. Still be meaningful, despite our passing age.

We’re old now, though not tree-old, end-aware. Through weather, storms and high winds, we’ve remained deep-rooted, yet too wild to become tamed.

This pine, like long-lived love, depends on fire. In the bark-shorn trunk, I begin your name. I work chest-high above the marks from flames.

— Paul Jones

Paul Jones is the author of Something Wonderful and Something Necessary, both available from RedHawk Publications.

Spurred on by the success of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the American Academy of Poets organized the first National Poetry Month in April 1996. Over its 30 years of existence, it has grown into the largest literary celebration in the world, involving readers, students, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, events and, oh yes, the occasional poet. It’s possible to sign up to receive a “Poem-a-Day” in your inbox (curated by Dorianne Lux), request a National Poetry Month poster, encourage participation in the “Dear Poet” project for students in grades five through 12, and consult a “Poetry Near You” calendar. To quote Emily Dickenson, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” You may feel free to lose your head every month of the year, but April is a good place to start.

By Naomi Shihab Nye

You can’t order a poem like you order a taco. Walk up to the counter, say, “I’ll take two” and expect it to be handed back to you on a shiny plate.

Still, I like your spirit.

Anyone who says, “Here’s my address, write me a poem,” deserves something in reply. So I’ll tell a secret instead: poems hide. In the bottoms of our shoes, they are sleeping. They are the shadows drifting across our ceilings the moment before we wake up. What we have to do is live in a way that lets us find them.

Once I knew a man who gave his wife two skunks for a valentine. He couldn’t understand why she was crying. “I thought they had such beautiful eyes.” And he was serious. He was a serious man who lived in a serious way. Nothing was ugly just because the world said so. He really liked those skunks. So, he re-invented them as valentines and they became beautiful. At least, to him. And the poems that had been hiding in the eyes of skunks for centuries crawled out and curled up at his feet.

Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us we find poems. Check your garage, the odd sock in your drawer, the person you almost like, but not quite. And let me know.

From Red Suitcase, by Naomi Shihab Nye. Copyright 1994 Naomi Shihab Nye. Used by permission of the author.

I first read Naomi Shihab Nye’s poetry in the mid1990s. I quickly became a fan of her work, and “Valentine for Ernest Mann” has long been one of my favorites. The quirkiness of the first stanza — the idea of ordering a poem like ordering a taco — made me smile and want to read on. Then in the second stanza comes the kindness and generosity that shine through all her work. Instead of dismissing this rather audacious request (which was an actual demand from a middle school student), Naomi leads him, and us, into an exploration of how we too can find our own poems. “What we have to do/ is live in a way that lets us find them.” She reminds us that we all have poetry in us, if we are attentive to the small meaningful moments in our lives. She doesn’t lecture us about it; instead, she gives us that wonderful example of the man who saw skunks as beautiful, and her images make them beautiful too. Her gentle and genuine words make us realize there is beauty everywhere if we are open to seeing it. This poem has stuck with me over the years. When I was teaching both children and adults, I would share it to encourage students to make lists of where they could find their own poems. When I was writing my first book of poetry I came back to the line “Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us/we find poems” and realized that was exactly what I was doing. Naomi’s work shows us that poetry is a way of accessing our true feelings, be they of beauty or wonder or moving through difficult times. Born to an American mother and Palestinian father, Naomi Shihab Nye captures in her poetry the humanity that connects us all. She has spent over 40 years traveling the world leading poetry workshops with both children and adults that spread that humanitarian spirit. I am grateful for her presence through poetry.

— Joanne Durham

Joanne Durham is the author of To Drink from a Wider Bowl (Evening Street Press 2022), which won the Sinclair Poetry Prize. Her new collection, Chasing Justice, is forthcoming from Shanti Arts, summer 2026. Her poetry appears widely in literary journals and anthologies. She lives on the North Carolina coast with the ocean as her backyard and muse, where she co-hosts a monthly poetry reading and teaches poetry workshops in person and online. Learn more at https://www. joannedurham.com.

(An Excerpt)

By Gabrielle Calvocoressi

X. George Putnam, husband

Afterwards she was everywhere: a map in the glove compartment, shoes on the stairs, her wedding ring

on the bathroom sink. I found her house keys by the phone and wondered how she’d get back

inside. Of course I wasn’t the only one: everybody thought they’d seen her, especially children

who wondered if she was hiding from me. One girl wrote, When my father yells

I hide in the barn. Do you have a barn?

The last time I saw Amelia Earhart she was three steps ahead of me, crossing to the other side of the street. I almost died trying to reach her, called her name

over the traffic and when she turned back it was a young man, startled by my grasping hand, saying sorry

but I was mistaken. Then she was gone; clothes sent, car sold, nothing left to look for. Except airplanes

where are everywhere now and take me back to her, turning away from our expectant faces.

Excerpt from The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Persea Books, 2005.

I’m sure I had read persona poems before I encountered Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s debut collection, but certainly none had struck me the way this one did. The excerpt I’ve selected is the last of 10 sections in the poem, which is also the title of the book. Each section is written from the poet’s imagined first-person perspective of an individual who was touched by Amelia Earhart’s final flight and disappearance, beginning with an ordinary bystander in section I all the way to her husband in section X. The facts of Earhart’s story (which I vividly remember learning in elementary school) are compelling enough. But when Calvocoressi filters them through the eyes of carefully curated characters — some who knew her personally and some who didn’t — those facts simultaneously gain dimension and become more intimately human. I had been under the impression that contemporary poetry was generally supposed to derive from personal experience, influenced on occasion by outside research. Reading The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart and the other suites of persona poems in this book allowed me to see just how a poet could use their imagination in service of their work, bringing fictional narrative into lyrical verse and giving the reader an even deeper insight into something we thought we already knew. Though it’s taken me years to come around to it, it’s given me permission to do the same.

— Morrow Dowdle

Morrow Dowdle is the author of the chapbook Hardly (Bottlecap Press, 2024), the forthcoming chapbook Missing Woman (Charlotte Lit Press, 2026), and the forthcoming full-length debut collection I No Longer Want to Be Heartsick (Riot in Your Throat, 2026). Their poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. A former physician assistant, they now work as a creative and administrative assistant for NC Public Art. They are pursuing their creative writing MFA at Spalding University and live in Durham, NC.

By Li-Young Lee

In the steamer is the trout seasoned with slivers of ginger, two sprigs of green onion, and sesame oil. We shall eat it with rice for lunch, brothers, sister, my mother who will taste the sweetest meat of the head, holding it between her fingers deftly, the way my father did weeks ago. Then he lay down to sleep like a snow-covered road winding through pines older than him, without any travelers, and lonely for no one.

I am a graduate of SUNY Brockport, where I chose to continue my study of reading and writing poetry after finding my way to it in community college. As it happened, two poets who’d become, for me, extremely important influences, preceded me at Brockport, Michael Waters and Li-Young Lee. Style-wise, these are different poets entirely, except for the attention to poetic craft and texture both bring to their work.

The recipient of many awards and honors, Li-Young’s backstory is as extraordinary as his poetry. He was born in 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Chinese parents, and his father had been a personal physician to Mao Zedong while in China.

Eating Together is a poem in which his father figures prominently, and the poem’s title presents us with an irony. That is, the family is not together as the recently deceased father is absent.

Rooted in Confucian principles of respect, it is a common and traditional practice in Chinese culture for the head of the household (often the father or the eldest member) to be honored with the head of the fish. Therefore, this is a poem of transition. The mother now assumes the father’s role as head of the family and is afforded that respect.

Like so much of Lee’s poetry, this selection is notable for its quiet tone and sensory texture. Grief is in the poem, of course, but the fact need not be uttered. Instead, the reader is provided a closure of beauty and, at its core, an extraordinary simile. The dead father is compared to a snow-covered road in a pine forest, and we understand that here, death is blessed relief, as he is “lonely for no one.”

— John Hoppenthaler

John Hoppenthaler’s books of poetry are Night Wing Over Metropolitan Area, Domestic Garden, Anticipate the Coming Reservoir, and Lives of Water, all with Carnegie Mellon UP. He has co-edited a volume of essays on the poetry of Jean Valentine, This-World Company (U of Michigan P). He is a professor of English at East Carolina University, and his poetry appears in Ploughshares, Virginia Quarterly Review, TriQuarterly, Southern Review, Poetry Northwest, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and many other journals and anthologies.

By Carolyn Forché

If I had never walked the snow fields, heard the iced birch, leant against wind hard toward distant houses, ever distant, wind in the coat, snow over the boot tops, supper fires in windows far across the stubby farms, none of them my house until the end, the last, and late, always late, despite how early I’d set off wearing gloves of glass, a coat standing up by itself. If I had never reached the house, but instead lain down in the drifts to finish a dream, if I had finished, would I have reached the rest of my life, here, now, with you whispering: must not sleep, not rest, must not take flight, must wake.

This poem, from the volume In the Lateness of the World, eloquently speaks to the work of witness both externally and internally. “Early Confession” resonates with my own work as a documentary poet whose work also questions and engages in the interior domains of political, social and personal struggle. Carolyn Forché has always evoked and amplified beauty in the difficult and often traumatic everydayness and ordinariness of life, mirroring ourselves in the webs of each other’s experiences and humanity. I’ve never known how to walk away from suffering, and I too have asked, what might my path have been if I had not chosen this path? What if I had lain down in the drifts to finish a dream? The pastoral imagery and metaphors create a wisp of a trailing scent; an invocation, or a lamentation for life, death, consciousness, and our intimate lives. “Early Confession” is an invitation to seek clarity, declare purpose, and assume agency both given and liberated. This poem is an affirmation for my ethic of wonder and need to focus my creative intentions and resolutions on the wonders and realities of the world. Forché has always written poetry that returns us over and over again to how to purposefully witness wonder and humility as wholesome emotions that will never exist with destruction. “Early Confession” reawakens a primal portal for becoming receptive to what lies around us in our communities that are inherently worth preserving and protecting. The poem draws me personally to bear witness to my own self-cultivation for learning how to fully inhabit the path that I’ve chosen and that chooses me back. I am grateful for the vast landscape this singular poem constructs, reminding the reader to forge new connections with the self that guide us to inhabit and forge new connections on the path, guiding our sense of wonderment outward toward full radical amazement.

— Jaki Shelton Green

Jaki Shelton Green, ninth poet laureate of North Carolina, was recognized by Forbes Magazine 2022 50 Over 50 Lifestyle List, 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate fellow, 2014 North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, and 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Recently retired from teaching documentary poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies, Green is the author of several poetry collections and a poetry album. She is the owner of SistaWRITE, providing regional and international writing retreats for women writers, and serves as poetry editor for Walter magazine.

“Early Confession” from In the Lateness of the World: Poems, by Carolyn Forché, copyright ©2020 by Carolyn Forché. Used by permission of Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

(The Runaway)

By Guy Owen

A white horse came to our farm once

Leaping, like dawn, the backyard fence.

In dreams I heard his shadow fall Across my bed. A miracle, I woke up beneath his mane’s surprise; I saw my face within his eyes. The dew ran down his nose and fell Upon the bleeding window quince. . . .

But long before I broke the spell

My father’s curses sped him on, Four flashing hoofs that bruised the lawn. And as I stumbled into dawn I saw him scorn a final hedge, I heard his pride upon the bridge, Then through the wakened yard I went To read the rage the stallion spent.

When I was at NC State in the late 1960s, Guy Owen was already a legend. The journal he founded and edited, the Southern Poetry Review, was well-established. His second novel, The Ballad of the Flim-Flam Man, had been made into a movie. His collection of poetry, The White Stallion and Other Poems, won the RoanokeChowan award. There wasn’t much he hadn’t done or wasn’t doing. At the time there was an active revolt against traditional forms, against poetry for the ear. I felt that revolutionary spirit too. But having had a grandmother who would, at the drop of a hat, recite verse, I wanted the sounds, the music, as well. When I read Owen’s poem, I was taken by how different it was than the early 20th century verse my grandmother loved and how different from the writings of the Beats that so attracted young poets like me in the late 1960s. The poem is so full of sound and surprise. In just 16 lines, it manages to be psychologically complex and simple, dreamlike and real, innocent and wise, showing tension between father and son. Although I was a computer science major who had failed introductory English (I am a terrible speller), Guy talked with me a little and was kind. Not long after, I published the longest poem ever in the student literary journal, the Windhover. (Someone else checked and corrected my spelling). Guy remembered that. A few years later at the first North Carolina Writers Conference I attended, he remembered me in the best way; he invited me to share his whiskey. We talked about poetry. I mostly listened. The horse, he admitted, had been black, but at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference the editor of Poetry told him that if the horse was white as a ghost or as dawn it would be a better poem and would be published in his respected journal. It was published in Poetry as “The White Horse.” Somewhere along the way, the horse now white became a stallion. I learned a lot about how small revisions and particular details can greatly improve a poem. Today, 20 years older than Guy was when he died in 1981, I return to “The White Stallion.” It seems to me a masterpiece. So accessible and so mysterious. I can hear Guy talk about it again. I can taste his whiskey. Jack Daniel’s, since you asked. — Paul Jones

A manuscript of Paul Jones’ poems landed safely on the moon in February 2024. In 2021, Jones entered the NC State Computer Science Hall of Fame. His books are Something Wonderful (2021) and Something Necessary (2024), both from Redhawk Press. Recent poems are in Rattle, IEEE Spectrum, Louisville Review, Book of Matches, and in Best American Erotic Poems (1800-Present). He can be found at http://smalljones.com and as @ smalljones on the socials.

By Joe Mills

Last night we set the clocks back gaining an extra hour to sleep or drink or read, and I walked through the house changing the time in the coffee maker, the stove, the VCR, the thermostat

then I went into the bathroom to twist the dial on the scale a few pounds lighter and I moved the numbers down on the blood pressure machine so my wife wouldn’t need as many pills, then to the children’s rooms to erase the doorframe marks and repencil them slightly lower, not to the point we again would need strollers or slings, just an inch or two, to make these days last longer.

I once had a poetry teacher who said try and write lines so good someone will want to have them tattooed on their body. Quite a goal, indeed, but Joe Mills’ poems are full of such lines.

I could have picked a dozen of his poems but I chose Savings from his collection, This Miraculous Turning, which won the 2015 RoanokeChowan Award for Poetry. I’m a huge fan of what I think of as the classic Mills’ poem: accessible, personal, often funny and about family, with an ending that kicks you in the gut but also somehow lifts you up. Mills is the author of seven poetry collections and a professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he holds the Susan Burress Wall Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities. While his poems are smart, they are not the sort of poems that feel like a puzzle to be solved. Not that that means they are “easy.” You do have to do some work, but his poems pull you in and share something about his life that also feels universal. One of the things that strikes me first about Savings is the conversational tone. It starts off with a narrator telling you a simple story of setting the clocks back for daylight saving, but it can’t just be about that, can it? By the second stanza, it’s becoming more personal as the poet brings in the scale and his wife’s blood pressure pills. The third and final stanza really gets to what the poem is about — family and how we want to hold on for as long as we can, whether it’s for an aging parent, a spouse, or in this case, your children. I have a friend who, upon reading a book he really enjoyed, throws the book across the room. Perhaps as a sign of respect, or awe, or I wish I’d written that. Whenever I read a Joe Mills book, I throw it good and hard across the room. But not too far, because I know I’ll soon want to pick it up and read more of his lovely poems.

— Steve Cushman

Steve Cushman is the author of three novels, including Portisville, winner of the 2004 Novello Literary Award. He has published two poetry chapbooks, and his first full-length collection, How Birds Fly, won the 2018 Lena Shull Book Award. His latest collection, The Last Time, was published by Unicorn Press in 2023. Cushman works in the IT department at Cone Health.

By Taylor Johnson

after June Jordan

Nightly my enemies feast on my comrades like maggots on money. Money being my enemy as plastic is my enemy. My enemy everywhere and in my home as wifi is a money for me to reach my comrades and kills my house plants. My enemy is distance growing dark, distance growing politely in my pocket as connection. I must become something my enemies can’t eat, don’t have a word for yet, my enemies being literate as a drone is well-read and precise and quiet, as when I buy something such as a new computer with which to sing against my enemies, there is my enemy, silent and personal.

One of many things I love about reading poetry is seeing a poet’s thought process unfold as I read. How they move from wonder to thought to wonder. At the core of Taylor Johnson’s poetics seems to be making visible his thoughts, his concerns, and his loves. “Menace to” is such a great example of the Venn diagram of Taylor’s mind. The poem draws a diagram around the speaker’s enemies: money and plastic. On the other side of that diagram, comrades. As he does, Taylor complicates the speaker’s position. Wi-Fi is an enemy as well, allowing the speaker to reach out to those comrades. Thus, as the speaker states, “wifi is a money for me,” while Wi-Fi kills the houseplants. The speaker is aware of his complicity, as he states: “My enemy is distance growing dark, distance growing politely in my pocket as connection.” The Venn diagram becomes even more complicated as the enemy grows larger, into a drone that is literate, “well-read and precise and quiet,” yet is still connected to the “money” that opens the poem and the wifi in the second stanza. Taylor ends by turning the poem back on himself, the new computer, enemy as well, becomes a tool to destroy the enemy, to reach again, comrades.

— Tyree Daye

Tyree Daye was raised in Youngsville, North Carolina. He is the author of the poetry collections a little bump in the earth (Copper Canyon Press, 2024), Cardinal (Copper Canyon Press, 2020) and River Hymns (American Poetry Review, 2017), winner of the APR/Honickman First Book Prize. A Cave Canem fellow and a Palm Beach Poetry Festival Langston Hughes fellow, Daye is the recipient of a Whiting Writers Award, a Kate Tufts Award finalist, and a 2021 Paterson Prize finalist. He was the 2019 Diana and Simon Raab writer-in-residence at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received an Amy Clampitt residency. Daye is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In January 2023, Daye served as guest editor of the Poem-a-Day series.

A guide to stylish spreads

By EmilEE PhilliPs • Photogra Phs By John gEssnEr

With spring sprung in the Sandhills, it’s only natural to savor the fresh air before the summer heat hits and air conditioning slams all our windows shut. These are the weeks when the blossoms unfurl and the birds return and, with them, comes your naturally gregarious nature. In our digital age of screens and scrolling,

the perfect remains a constant: food and friends. To help inspire your next gathering with some picturesque outdoor entertaining, we asked two professional hostesses to share their favorite tips and tricks for throwing dinner parties — no matter how big or how small — that feel lively, welcoming and ripe for memories to be made.

Dinner in Bloom

Veronica Ruiz-Krause is on a mission to bring back hosting for all ages Her gift of curating a dinner party became apparent after throwing an over-the-top backyard birthday soiree for a friend. “It’s so fun to put on a little outfit,” she says, “come over and hang out with friends.”

As a self-declared perfectionist, she is always sure to set the detailed table according to theme, but when it comes to food, she encourages her guests to each bring a dish. “That brings more of that sense of community and puts less pressure on the host,” she says.

Ruiz-Krause begins every experience with a vision board. When she’s curating a table, inspiration can come from anywhere. She’s built entire moods around shawls that doubled as tablecloths. She never strays from adding color to a tablescape, mixing and matching textures with pieces that make each guest feel special.

Veronica Ruiz-Krause is the owner of Dinner With Friends, a service that customizes tablescapes and gatherings for baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries and more.

must haves Fresh flowers. ambience A group playlist is Ruiz-Krause’s go-to, so that everyone can help shape the tone in their own way.

tip Make sure the dishwasher is empty before people arrive so things can just get thrown in when you’re finished.

Scarlet and Sage Support

Karla Ceraso has always loved to gather friends and family. For her, setting a curated table is something that brings joy. Although she relishes a good theme personally, she firmly believes that being a great host doesn’t depend on one.

“So many people tell me they hate hosting because it’s too much pressure. I think people are trying too hard to impress rather than welcome,” says Ceraso. Her advice is to focus on what’s important and prepare with intention: “What your guests will remember most is how you made them feel. Your house doesn’t have to be spotless, your food can be store-bought, you can use paper plates if that’s your vibe. Find your comfort zone and remember the most important thing is to be present with your guests.”

Karla Ceraso ran the former business Pinehurst Picnic Company, helping clients design intimate picnic experiences around Moore County, though she credits most of her expertise to making everyday meals at home creative and magical for her children.

must haves Flowers and candles.

food Relish trays with crudités are a fun and easy twist on

charcuterie. She also loves to serve soup or flatbread as a starter.

tip Thrifting is her favorite way to gather pieces for table settings.

Southern A

Pines Fairytale

Whimsical blooms with an intoxicating scent

Tier 1 – Tied Second Place, I See Moo, Cindy Murphy

Fairies and fairytales hold a special allure in the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. We grow up enchanted by the possibilities of magic and often wonder if such possibilities are real. In Southern Pines, this question seems a bit less farfetched. We are home to the world’s oldest longleaf pine tree and are known for our old-growth forest. What other towns have an annual festival celebrating a tree’s birthday? It seems only fitting that it should have a fairy named after it, too.

If fairies do exist, then their form surely would be fleeting and ethereal. Whether you call them woodland nymphs, pixies or sprites, one thing is certain: They are rare and special. Only the most fortunate may catch a glimpse. To capture one in a photograph, timing must be perfect. One such sprite has been seen, documented and officially confirmed by the Species Identification Task Force. No kidding.

When Dendrobium tipuliferum ‘Southern Pines Sprite’ was presented to American Orchid Society judging on Aug. 13, 2023, conditions were just right. Native to Fiji, this diminutive orchid is capable of blooming multiple times a year, producing flowers that are so delicate and ephemeral that they often go unnoticed. The whimsical blooms have an intoxicating watermelon fragrance. Like many other orchids, the more fragrant the bloom, the shorter its life. The flowers of Dendrobium tipuliferum last less than 24 hours, so it’s not entirely surprising that this was the first time this species had been exhibited for judging.

The plant received a Certificate of Horticultural Merit with a score of 86 points for its form, color, floriferousness and overall aesthetic appeal. The judges commented that the filamentous petals, serrated lip and brilliant yellow color were especially striking. The photos speak for themselves.

The clonal name ‘Southern Pines Sprite’ was chosen as the stellate flowers seem to wave and beckon you closer, just before hitting you with the magical watermelon fragrance. Since this was the first award ever granted to the species, one of the

blooms had to be carefully dissected, measured and described for official verification by the Species Identification Task Force.

Some plants and flowers have anthropomorphic features that give them seemingly human qualities. Dracula flowers, or monkey-faced orchids, are one such example. Dendrobium tipuliferum is truly a special species as its flowers look like fairies gracefully dancing in the breeze. The flower chosen for the award photograph is especially cheerful as it looks like it is waving hello.

It seems the fairies in Southern Pines are rather friendly and have a propensity for making people smile. PS

Jason Harpster is an accredited American Orchid Society judge and works at his family’s business, Central Security Systems. He hopes to share his collection of 1,000 orchids with over 500 unique species by building a new greenhouse in downtown Southern Pines.

A

By Jenna Biter • P hotograPhs By John gessner

In the neighborhood of Pinehurst No. 9, Bob and Maria Milligans’ white stucco house lounges near the back of a lot shaded by mature pines, oaks and flowering dogwoods. Rhododendrons, hydrangeas, azaleas, camellias — the front yard is a gardener’s dream. The backyard is a golfer’s paradise. “I love to play golf, so you’ll notice we’re walking from the patio to my . . .” Bob motions with his hands like he’s unveiling the grand prize on a game show “. . . putting green.”

This mini-Thistle Dhu, or micro-Himalayas, was fashioned from a seamless 20-by-20 piece of artificial turf, molded for a natural roll and sped up with hundreds of pounds of sand worked into the surface. There are three cups to aim at and enough contour to keep a tour pro scratching his head. “Sometimes it breaks left, sometimes it breaks right,” says Bob. The longest putt is roughly 15 feet.

McNeill’s Landscaping Services of Aberdeen installed the green when they overhauled the Milligans’ backyard in 2025. Upgrades included a rock garden, patio and walking paths, the continuation of a retaining wall, and in addition to the green, the replacement of the yard’s grass with turf. “I can’t stress enough how good of a job McNeill’s Landscaping did,” says Bob, surveying his domain. The backyard’s facelift was the final step in a home makeover that began just after the Milligans purchased the home in 2021.

“This is our Florida . . . I guess you call it a Carolina Room here,” Milligan says. The outdoor living space is situated on a deck they converted from a split-level to a single tier in 2022. Later they installed a pergola with remote control-operated louvres that can divert the sun any time of day and even keep out the rain. Four or five seating arrangements spill off the deck and into the backyard, ready to accommodate the Milligans’ frequent entertaining. A teakwood dining table seats 14. There are two gas-powered fire pits, plus a grill. “It’s the only thing he’s good at besides golf,” says Maria, grinning.

“We love to have more than just two or three friends over,” she says. They regularly commune with a group of six couples, the self-proclaimed “dirty dozen.” “Our new friends all love to come here because they can just chill, unwind and open a few bottles of good wine,” says Maria. “It’s relaxing.”

Dark blue cushions, pillows and pots finish the backyard. It’s a fitting color for a Navy family. Bob served 27 years in uniform before retiring as a captain in 1999. After their first life moving around the country, overseas and on the seas, followed by a second life in northern Virginia, the Milligans finally settled in Pinehurst. Their home sits across the street from the fairway of the fifth hole of No. 9, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course originally known as Pinehurst National.

“It was fate,” says Maria. Friends were moving to the area and the Milligans traveled south for a visit. “I walked into a shop, and the owner gave a hello-how-are-you,” says Maria, still dumbfounded. “I don’t get that in northern Virginia.”

Pretty soon the Milligans were searching for their own place in Pinehurst. “It took us three months,” says Maria. They liked the floor plan of their now-home and could see the property’s potential. “We could make it our own,” she says.

The Milligans moved into the nearly 4,000-square-foot house in 2021 and immediately got to work updating bathrooms and the kitchen, painting from top to bottom, essentially redoing everything indoors except for the layout. Then they shifted their focus outdoors.

“It was overgrown. It looked more like a jungle than anything else,” says Bob. “The backyard was nothing but pine needles, so it wasn’t really usable.” They hacked, trimmed, shaped and reshaped the potential they saw into reality. Thirteen trees were removed, so the surviving stand could flourish. They left the sprawling azaleas untouched.

“I love flowers. I want flowers,” Maria says. “I have these gor-

geous azaleas throughout, I have rhododendrons, I have camelias, I have jasmine, roses, gardenias.” Whites, reds and pinks color the scene. “During the spring, this place is unbelievable as far as the color goes,” Bob says. Plus the Milligans’ home is just under a mile from the clubhouse. “Why do you think we moved down here?” Maria teases as Bob cracks a smile.

“The people I play with say that I have an advantage over them,” he says, eyeing the backyard’s crown jewel. A golfer-gnome watches the emerald turf from his home in a garden bed, lanterns illuminate the playing surface for after-hours practice and a pair of loungers offer respite to tired putters. “They’re older, I keep reminding them, so they putt and they sit,” says Maria.

Pathways puzzled together from geometric pavers circulate guests to and from the main attraction, and a golf-themed bird bath completes the scene. The yard’s full of robins, blue jays, woodpeckers and hummingbirds, especially when the flowers are out. It’s nearly a private aviary. “You can barely see our neighbors through the trees. You can’t see our neighbors at the back. We love it here because we’re in the community, but we can also get up early in the morning, have a cup of coffee on the deck and not worry about golfers.”

Unless they’re playing at Milligans National. PS

Jenna Biter is a writer and military wife in the Sandhills. She can be reached at jennabiter@protonmail.com.

Lucky No. 7

A future custom-built for family

By JEnna Bit Er

Photogra Phs By John gEssnEr

Acheckerboard of grass and pavers leads to the glasspaneled double doors of Charles and Amy Crabtree’s white brick home. “Sebastian, come on, buddy,” says Amy, opening the doors. The 12-year-old miniature schnauzer skates across the wide oak planks running the length of the entry hall. To the right is a blue study lined with books and sports memorabilia. To the left is a music room showcasing a K. Kawai baby grand and a commissioned painting of Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

“This is how it’s supposed to be — I can see through the house,” Amy says, looking from the front doors all the way to sliding glass doors at the back.

Even though the Crabtrees live in a neighborhood of Pinehurst’s No. 7 golf course, the property overlooks the fourth hole of No. 2. “Hallowed ground,” says Amy with a smile.

The Crabtrees retired to their custom build overlooking Donald Ross’ masterpiece in 2020 after splitting time between Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and Bethany Beach, Delaware. The Holly Inn in Pinehurst would often be the couple’s stopover on road trips back and forth. The village charmed them off their feet and eventually out of their far-flung homes. “We sold both homes within a two-month period,” says Charles.

Pinehurst was the draw, but family was the clincher. Once the Crabtrees’ daughter, Courtney, moved to North Carolina and had their first grandchild, the future was set. “It was an easy decision,” says Amy. Now Courtney and her brother, Chase, both live in the Forest Creek community with their families. “We have our four grandchildren here, and they’re just a five-minute ride away,” Charles says.

Down the entry hallway, past a bellowing grandfather clock shipped to the States from

Germany, the house opens up. A slate-blue built-in displays family photos beside one of the home’s five fireplaces. This one is in the living room. There’s another through the sliding glass doors in the outdoor dining room, which overlooks the wide landing, a grandkid-approved infinity swimming pool and ultimately the golf course fairway.

“We were on our last day looking for property, and we had kind of exhausted everything,” Charles says. “We thought, maybe this isn’t going to work, and then all of a sudden, the Realtor said, ‘These wooded lots here — I think one of them — we might be able to talk to someone to see if they’re interested in selling.’”

“We asked, ‘Well, where is it?’ They said, ‘This is No. 2.’”

They bought the .89-acre wooded lot and Huntley Design Build got to work combining favorite elements of their previous homes into one 6,850-square-foot dream build. It was the COVID era, but fortunately for the Crabtrees, their building materials had already been delivered, so construction wasn’t delayed by the supply chain crisis. “From the time we moved the first tree off the lot, which was July, 2019, to the time we were in the home on June, 2020 . . . ” Charles says.

“Eleven months start to finish,” says Amy, completing the thought.

Back inside the living room, turn in one direction to enter the Crabtrees’ personal sports bar with pine wood from the lot lining the ceiling and a wine cellar that holds up to 1,500 bottles. There’s a golf simulator, neon Putter Boy sign paying homage to the Pinehurst Resort and two signed, limited edition prints by sports artist LeRoy Neiman, one of Jack Nicklaus and the other of Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for playing the most consecutive games in Major League Baseball. Turn the other way, and you’re in the dining room and kitchen. A long table seats 10, enough to fit the Crabtree family, grandkids and all. “We try to do a Sunday dinner, or some sort of event, once a week if we can,” Amy says.

The upstairs is home to three guest en suites, a gym and a bunkroom for the grandkids. “When they come over, this is where they hang out,” Charles says. There are two sets of bunk beds, a cushy sectional and TV, and plenty of floor space to play. “They’ll be up here having a big old time, all four of them, and then when we come up after they leave, it’s a complete disaster,” he says affectionately, like only a grandfather can.

The Crabtrees themselves don’t spend much time upstairs, only to play with the grandkids, work out or if they need to fix something. “Between the master and the kitchen and this room, everything is right here,” Amy says, sitting at the bar top. It’s as if they built an apartment within a house, enabling maximal time together.

They drink early morning mugs of coffee in the master bedroom and slip out a side door to the hot tub. When they play golf it’s as a couple, and they’re even together in the art on their walls. Mixed-media collages by British artist Tom Butler dot the house, and if you look closely the likeness of Charles and Amy can be seen in many of them. “We said we’re retiring early, and when we retire early, we’re going to be together,” Charles says. Here they are in front of the Eiffel Tower. There they are in New York. It’s a personalized Where’s Waldo. The only thing missing is Sebastian the miniature schnauzer, who has yet to make a cameo. PS

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April

By Ashley WAlshe

April is a wild maiden, slowly waking.

Before she opens her eyes, she lets the stream of birdsong trickle through her inner landscape, lap against organ and bone, awaken her from the inside out.

Listen. Each trill and warble, an invocation. The dawn chorus, a polyphonic composition of her many dulcet names.

Awaken, Maiden! they sing. Awaken, Ostara! Awaken, Goddess of Spring!

As morning sunlight dances across her face and shoulders, she wiggles her fingers and toes, smiles at the tender kiss of sunbeam, then gently unfurls. When at last her eyes greet the light of day, the wonder astounds her. She presses her feet into the soft earth, where constellations of glittering dewdrops adorn bluets and clover, and feels the pulse of all creation.

The rhythm moves her. As her feet caress the fertile soil, wildflowers spring forth. Dwarf crested iris. Bluebells. Yellow lady’s slipper. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Hips swaying now, a swirl of swallowtails envelope her in a kaleidoscopic dream. Bees circle hypnotically. Nectar-drunk hummingbirds flash by like jewel-toned meteors.

As she shimmies toward the flowering dogwood, fragrance and color spilling in her wake, pink-and-white bracts appear on bare branches like a spray of immaculate vows.

In graceful flow, the maiden reaches for a dogwood sprig, tucks it into her tousled hair, and drifts along, unhurried. Like the birds, she calls the names of all awakening. Like the maiden, all of life responds.

Puddle Party

Nothing says spring is here like the site of early swallowtail drifting among native perennials. But have you ever stumbled upon a cluster of them “puddling” together in the mud? Absolute magic.

Supping essential nutrients from the wet earth (namely, sodium and amino acids), male swallowtails absorb that which nectar alone can’t provide. Why? For the offspring, of course. But isn’t everything? Want to attract butterflies to your own neck of the woods? First and foremost: forgo pesticides. Consider host plants for the garden (i.e. milkweed for monarchs, violets for fritillaries, w for zebra swallowtails). According to Conserving Carolina, native trees such as oak, cherry and willow each support hundreds of species of lepidoptera (winged insects including moths and butterflies). Or, fuel their flight with nectar a la purple coneflower, goldenrod, blazing star, black-eyed Susan, ironweed and aster. Everybody wins. PS

I would spend a morning With an April apple tree, Speaking to it softly, And laughing out in glee. All the summer sunshine And all the winter moon Are shining in the blossoms That will be gone so soon.

— George Elliston, “April Morning,” Through Many Windows, 1924

Words of Wisdom

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

— Margaret Atwood

HOME MAKEOVER

Find inspiration for your next home makeover project in the following pages. Whether you’re looking to beautify the inside of your home or add a touch of luxury to your outdoor living, this portfolio of local resources will help you enjoy the place you call home.

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Although conscientious effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, all events are subject to change and errors can occur! Please call to verify times, costs, status and location before planning or attending any events.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1

GOLF TOURNAMENT. 9:30 a.m. The Carolina Philharmonic presents The Maestro’s Cup. Proceeds benefit music education programs. Woodlake Country Club, 245 Woodlake Blvd., Vass. Info and tickets: (910) 687-0287 or www.carolinaphil.org.

WOMEN OF WEYMOUTH. 11 a.m. This month’s featured speaker is Jason Harper, with a presentation on “Understanding Orchids and Their Culture.” The Great Room, Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can come for educational training with a new topic each month. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

AUTHOR EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Pinehurst native and PineStraw Magazine columnist Bill Fields will discuss his memoir, A Quick Nine Before Dark: A Life in Golf. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

ART WORKSHOP. 6:30 - 9 p.m. Make a stained glass plant stake with Diane Flanegan. This class is part of a six-class series. All tools and supplies will be provided. Cost is $81.35. Kidcentric Creative Studios, 290 S.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

LUNCH BUNCH. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to dine on different cuisines each month visiting area restaurants. Carpool with friends or meet at the restaurant. Dining locations will be chosen the week before. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FIREFEST. 1 p.m. Firefest is a two-day celebration of the incredible art made at Starworks. The public is invited to attend live demonstrations, artist talks and hands-on workshops with internationally recognized artists in ceramics, metal and glass. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

OPENING RECEPTION. 5 - 7 p.m. The Artists League of the Sandhills presents “Leaders in Art,” showcasing art from former presidents of the league. The exhibit will be on display through April 24. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: www.artistleague.org.

ART EXHIBIT. 6 - 8 p.m. The Arts Council of Moore County presents “Palustris: Nature’s

To add or delete an event, email us at pinestraw.calendar@gmail.com

POP UP IN THE PINES Sunday, April 12

Canvas.” The exhibit will remain on display through April 24. Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.mooreart.org.

KARAOKE. 7 p.m. Bring friends, family and coworkers; there’s no cover charge or fee to participate. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

MOTHERSHIP OF THE PINES. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Embark on a movement-filled nature scavenger hunt through the park. Families will collect outdoor treasures, complete fitness challenges and participate in gentle gardening or a craft station. Cost is $20 for residents and $24 for non-residents (per family). Location to be determined. Info: www.southernpines.net.

MUSIC FESTIVAL. 2 - 9 p.m. Enjoy the HerbFest Music Festival celebrating the musical legacy of Herb Cameron. There will be beer and food trucks. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 6

QUILTS OF VALOR. 12 - 4 p.m. Quilts of Valor meets the first Monday of each month to create lap quilts made especially for veterans. If you sew, bring your machine; if you don’t sew, you can iron or cut out fabrics for new designs. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 10:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation

and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

WOULD YOU READ IT? 4 - 5 p.m. Tweens ages 8 - 12 can hear the first chapters of “tween” books, vote yes or no, and help decide which titles sound the most fun. Stick around to browse the books afterward, design your own bookmark and pick your next read. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8

BASEBALL GAME. 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Adults 55 and older can join Southern Pines Parks and Recreation to watch the Greensboro Grasshoppers play the Asheville Tourists in Greensboro. Cost is $59 for residents and $82 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BIKE FLAIR DAY. 2 - 4 p.m. All ages are invited to stop by the library to decorate bikes, scooters, skateboards and helmets and learn a few simple bike safety tips. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

THURSDAY, APRIL 9

POETRY READING CLUB. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can bring a favorite poem or one you have written yourself to share with friends. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CORNHOLE. 12 - 1 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to work on their aim and have some fun with friends. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HOT GLASS, COLD BEER, LIVE MUSIC. 5:30 p.m. Enjoy a glass demonstration followed at 7 p.m. by the band Rusted Luck and food trucks. Cost is $5. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 10

SPARK STORYTIME. 10 a.m. Join a special, once-a-month story time at Fire Station 82. Ages birth to 5 are welcome. Fire Station 82, 7850 N.C. 22, Carthage. Info: www.sppl.net.

LIVE AFTER FIVE. 5:15 - 9 p.m. Kick off the 2026 concert series with live music, kids’ activities, food trucks and more. Free event. The Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

SPRING FLING & A MOVIE. 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Kids ages 3 - 12 can celebrate the arrival of spring with fun games, face painting, bounce houses, entertainment and more. Concessions will be

available for purchase. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Afterward, enjoy the showing of Inside Out 2 starting at 7:45 p.m. Downtown Park, 145 S.E. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376 or www.southernpines.net.

CRAFT NIGHT. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Join a monthly community craft night. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

PRISCILLA PRESLEY. 7 - 8:15 p.m. Priscilla Presley - An Evening of Magic, Memories and Truth. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

FASHION SHOW. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Come experience a night of glamour and glitz during the Broad Street Fashion Show. Models from the Southern Pines boutiques will show off their latest fashions. Cost is $26. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11

DISC GOLF. 9 - 10 a.m. Ages 8 - 15 can learn the basics of disc golf. Campbell House Park, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

BABY GOAT YOGA. 9 - 10 a.m. Enjoy a yoga class while baby goats wander around you. For ages 10 and older. Bring a mat, towel and water. Yoga classes will continue every Saturday through May 16. Ithika Acres Creamery, 4273 Gainey Road, Raeford. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

DOG FAIR. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Pinehurst Parks and Recreation Department hosts the Sandhills Dog Fair. This free event will have a doggie dash followed by contests, vendors, food, games and more. The Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

CREATIVE COMMUNITY COMMONS. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Are you interested in pottery, felting, crochet or illustration? Visit Creative Community Commons, an open studio at the library, for a hands-on experience. Meet local artists, watch live demos, and try guided activities. No experience required. Spots are first come, first served. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: mhoward@sppl.net.

SPRING MATINEE RACES. Pinehurst Parks and Recreation and the Pinehurst Driving Club invite you to attend the 77th annual Spring Matinee Races. Pinehurst Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

DUELING PIANOS. 3 - 5 p.m. You can call the shots during this interactive dueling pianos show. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

LIVE MUSIC. 7 p.m. Sqwerv brings their Colorado-born jam energy for a night of deep grooves and improvisation. Admission is $20. The Jive Hive, 2151 Vass-Carthage Road, Carthage. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION. 9:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Prepare your body and mind during this childbirth education and movement workshop. Whitehall, 490 Pee Dee Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

POP UP IN THE PINES. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wander through stalls of talented makers, savor delicious bites, and soak in the kind of community spirit that feels like an old-fashioned block party. Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.popupinthepines.com.

WRITING GROUP. 3 p.m. Are you interested in creating fiction, nonfiction, poetry or comics? Come to the Sunday Afternoon Writing Group. Connect with other writers and artists, chat about your craft, and get feedback about your work. All levels welcome. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: lholden@sppl.net.

POETRY BY THE POND. 4 - 5 p.m. Celebrate National Poetry Month with an afternoon of poetry. Bring a blanket or chair and your favorite poem to share. This is an open mic event after invited guests have spoken. Meet behind the Carriage House. Free and open to the public. Registration appreciated. Weymouth Gardens, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

DISC GOLF

Saturday, April 11

MONDAY, APRIL 13

PHOTO CLUB. 7 p.m. The Sandhills Photo Club monthly meeting will be a competition featuring the topic “Color, Color Everywhere.” This challenge is for members to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of color in the world around us. Guests are welcome. Sandhills Horticultural Ball Visitors Center, 3245 Airport Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

SHOPPING AND LUNCH. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Adults 55 and older can join Southern Pines Parks and Recreation for shopping in Fayetteville, followed by lunch. Each month enjoy a new shopping location and restaurant. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HATHA YOGA. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 55 and old-

er can increase flexibility, balance, stability, and muscle tone while learning the basic principles of alignment and breathing. You may gain strength, improve circulation and reduce chronic pain practicing gentle yoga postures and mindfulness. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

AARP TALK. 12 - 12:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to join AARP for a fraud talk. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Virginia McGee Richards will be discussing her book The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

ACTIVE ADVENTURES FOR LITTLE ONES. 10 - 11 a.m. Kids ages 2 - 5 can join a fun gym session designed for homeschool students. There will be interactive games and activities. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

HOMESCHOOL FUN ZONE. 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Enhance your curriculum and connect with other homeschool families. For ages 5 - 13. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Taylor Brown will be discussing his new novel, Wolvers. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Emily Matchar will be discussing her book The Lost Girl of Craven County. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. 6:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Richard Hatcher with a presentation on “The Second Flag Raising at Fort Sumter.” Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Open to the public. Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Ashe Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 246-0452 or mafarina@aol.com.

OPEN MIC NIGHT. 7 p.m. Let your talents shine. Musical numbers, spoken word or other performances welcome. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

LIVE CONCERT. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Enjoy a live concert experience featuring local superstar Julia Golden. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

PROCREATE CLASS. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Learn about the app Procreate with local illustrator Hannah Roser. For ages 14 and older. Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

5K RUN. 9:30 a.m. Friend to Friend presents its 10th annual Rise & Run 5K. There will also be a kids’ fun run at 10:30 a.m. Celebrate finishing with live music, food trucks and a kids’ corner. National Athletic Village, 201 Air Tool Drive, Southern Pines. Info: www.runsignup.com/Race/ NC/SouthernPines/NCRiseandRun5K.

HERITAGE DAY. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The annual Clenny Creek Heritage Day presents the James Bryant home and the McLendon cabin. There will be old-time activities, an animal petting area and live music and entertainment. Free admission. Bryant House, 3361 Mt. Carmel Road, Carthage.

AUTHOR EVENT. 10:30 a.m. Explore a Penny Postcard History of Southern Pines with local author Julia Hans, who has assembled nearly 200 vintage postcards unique to Southern Pines. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

CERAMIC WORKSHOP. 1 - 3 p.m. Make your own ceramic mug. Cost is $70. Advance registration required. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

DANCE. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Join the fun with Carolina Pines Dance Club for swing, shag, ballroom, Latin and line dances. Cost is $10 per person. Given Outpost/Roast Office, 95 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 331-9965.

TRIVIA NIGHT. 7 p.m. Bring your group of friends and meet new ones competing to see who

has the most trivia knowledge. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www. StarworksNC.org.

CLASSICAL MUSIC. 7:30 p.m. Join Maestro David Michael Wolff and the Carolina Philharmonic for an evening of classical masterworks. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: (910) 687-0287 or www.carolinaphil.org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 10:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BINGO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to play 10 games of bingo. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

JAMES BOYD BOOK CLUB. 2 p.m. This month the club will discuss The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Free admission but registration is required. The Great Room, Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

TEEN BOOK CHAT AND CHILL. 5 p.m. Teens ages 13 and older can share their favorite books, discover new ones, and connect with other teens

who love to read. Enjoy a discounted coffee courtesy of Swank. Registration is encouraged. Swank Coffee Shoppe, 232 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN. 10 a.m. The Sandhills Woman’s Exchange will host master gardener Dolores Muller for the monthly Lunch ‘n’ Learn program. This month’s talk is “How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard.” The presentation will be followed by a chef Katrina lunch, drink and dessert. Cost is $30 per person. Info: (910) 295-4677 or www.sandhillswe.org.

ACTION HOUR IN THE GYM. 11:15 a.m.12:15 p.m. Kids ages 2 - 12 can enjoy open play in the gym. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Ct., Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

POETRY SLAM JAM. Celebrate National Poetry Month with this fast-paced and lively event where local celebrities are invited to share their favorite bits of poetry or prose. Free and open to the public. Registration is required. Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

BOOK EVENT. 7 - 8:30 p.m. Join an evening with Bob Crawford, discussing his book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

N.C. SYMPHONY. 7:30 p.m. Celebrate America 250 with music from masterpieces by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Rd., Pinehurst. Info: www.ncsymphony.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

MUSIC BINGO. 6 p.m. Enjoy playing music bingo. Free to play. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25

CRAFT DAYS. Children and families can come by the library for a drop-in craft day to work on a fun, hands-on craft at their own pace. Crafts are designed for children in grades K-5 and their families. This is a self-guided activity, so caregivers should plan to assist as needed. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

WELDING WORKSHOP. 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. This class is designed as an introductory welding experience. Over the course of the one-day workshop participants will gain firsthand exposure to a variety of welding processes. Cost is $300. Advanced registration required. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SPRINGFEST. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Enjoy arts, crafts, food and entertainment, along with bike races. Bring your child’s electric vehicles for the big car

race at 11 a.m. Downtown Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

STORYTIME. 10:15 a.m. Saturday Storytime is a once-a-month program for children from birth to age 5. Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and smiles where caregivers and young children can interact and explore the fun of language and early literacy. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

MILITARY CHILD CELEBRATION. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join the annual celebration of the military children in our community. Enjoy a free cookout, games, a variety of kids’ activities and special performances. The event is open for everyone to enjoy. Cannon Park Recreation Center, 210 Rattlesnake Trail, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

TRIBUTE CONCERT. 6 - 9 p.m. 7 Bridges: The Ultimate Eagles Experience. Cooper Ford, 5292 U.S. 15, Carthage. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 p.m. Jamie Trout performs. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

JAZZ. 2 p.m. Enjoy music from Butler Knowles. Weymouth Center lawn, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

BOOK EVENT. 3 - 4 p.m. Michelle Collins Anderson will be discussing her new novel, The Moonshine Women. The Country Bookshop, 140

N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

CHORAL CONCERT. 4 - 6 p.m. The Moore County Choral Society presents a spring concert with a jazz combo and string quartet. BPAC, Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 27

TEEN CRAFT. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Ever feel like your brain needs to recharge? Chat about tech, stress and taking breaks. Create your own “analog bag,” a grab-and-go kit for when you want to unplug. Bring your own bag or use one of the library’s canvas totes to design a reset kit that fits your style. Registration required. For ages 13 and older. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

CREATIVITY CLUB. 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. Creativity Club at the fire station is a monthly program. Activities are designed for kids in grades K-5 but are adaptable to other ages and abilities. This month enjoy making pom-pom creatures. Caregiver participation is required. Fire Station 82, 7850 N.C. 22, Carthage. Info: www.southernpines.net/FormCenter/Library-11/ Creativity-Club-Registration-117.

JAM SESSION. 6 p.m. Bring an instrument and a

BOOK YOUR TICKETS TODAY AT:

Monday, May 4, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. Grandover Resort

Tuesday, June 2, from 12:00–2:00 p.m.

The Colonnade at Revolution Mill

beverage or just come to enjoy the music. All skill levels and all instruments are welcome. Open to the public. Registration appreciated. Great Room, Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

STORY TIME. 4 - 5 p.m. Join local author Rylee Hays for a story time that combines movement, crafts, music and American sign language in an action-packed hour for children of all ages. April’s theme is weather. Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

SKATING PERFORMANCE. 5:30 - 10 p.m. Ages 12 - 17 can watch Wizard of Oz on Ice at the Givens Performing Arts Center, University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Lunch at Chick-fil-A beforehand. Cost is $45 for residents and $63 for non-residents. Busses depart from the Rec Center, 160 Memorial Park Ct., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRIDAY, MAY 1

THEATER. 7 - 10 p.m. The Sandhills Community College theater department presents The Fantasticks. Performances continue through May 3.

McPherson Theater at BPAC, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WEEKLY EVENTS

MONDAYS

CHAIR YOGA. 9 - 10 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Help offset body aches encountered with desk work. This is an accessible yoga class for bodies not able to easily get up from and down to the floor. Do standing or sitting in a chair. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

JIGSAW PUZZLES. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Adults 55 and older can enjoy puzzle fun with friends or solo. Free of charge. Puzzles can be done Monday through Friday. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FITNESS MEMBERSHIP. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older can use a variety of equipment such as treadmills, free weights, stationery bikes and more. Cost for a six-month membership is $18 for residents and $26 for non-residents. The fitness room is open Monday through Friday. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

INDOOR WALKING. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can get an indoor walking membership in the climate-controlled gym. Membership can be used Monday through Friday. Cost for a six-month membership is $18 for residents and $26 for non-residents. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Ct., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

RESTORATIVE YOGA. 12 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Practice gentle movements to improve well-being, help alleviate pain and improve circulation. Bring your own mat. Free of charge. Douglass

Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

GAME ON. 12 - 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. You and your friends are invited to play various games such as corn hole, badminton, table tennis, shuffleboard, trivia games and more. Each week enjoy a different activity to keep moving and thinking. Compete with friends and make new ones all for free. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TAI CHI. 1 - 2 p.m. Adults 55 and older can take a Tai Chi 8 and Beijing 24 forms class. The classes continue every Monday through May 27. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

ACTIVE LIVING. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to join a 12-week program that teaches sedentary people the skills necessary to overcome barriers to becoming physically active. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TUESDAYS

VIRTUAL SPINNING CLASS. 8:30 - 9 a.m.

Adults 18 and older can do a 30-minute fun and effective bike workout. Limit of seven people per class. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval training, alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. No class on the second Tuesday of the month. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PLAYFUL LEARNING. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Attend a drop-in, open playtime for ages birth - 3 years to interact with other children and have educational playtime. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BABY RHYMES. 10:15 a.m. Baby Rhymes is specially designed for the youngest learners (birth2) and their caregivers. Repetition and comforting movements make this story time perfect for early development and brain growth. There will be a duplicate session at 10:45 a.m. An active library card is required. Dates this month are April 7, 14, 21 and 28. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

GAME DAY. 12 - 4 p.m. Fun, fellowship, games and activities for adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHESS. 1:30 - 5 p.m. Join a chess group, whether you have been playing for a while or have never played. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TABLE TENNIS. 3 - 5 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy free games of table tennis while making new friends. The second Tuesday of the month games will be played on that Thursday instead. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCE. 4:45 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is for beginners and is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

WEDNESDAYS

SANDHILLS FARMERS MARKET. 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Sandhills Farmers Market features our area’s farms, nurseries, bakeries, meat and egg providers, cheesemakers and specialty food producers. The market runs twice weekly through Sept. 30 at Tufts Park, 1 Village Green Road W., Pinehurst. For more information visit www.moorefarmfresh.com.

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval training alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR AEROBICS. 10 - 11 a.m. For adults 55

and older. Put on your boogie shoes and jam. Get fit to dance, partying up a sweat to great music through the ages. Stand and chair dance to this energizing, low-impact aerobic workout. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRAIN BOOST. 10 - 11 a.m. Test your memory while creating new brain connections. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

KNITTING. 10 - 11 a.m. Learn how to knit or come and enjoy knitting with other people. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

BABY STORYTIME. 10 - 11 a.m. Have fun developing the foundation for your baby’s later reading with stories, songs and play. Open to parents and caregivers of infants from newborn to 24 months. Moore County Library, 101 W. Saunders St., Carthage. Info: (910) 947-5335.

LEARN AND PLAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Enjoy an open play date with your toddler or preschooler where there will be developmental toys and puzzles as well as early literacy tips. Dates this month are April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave.,

Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PIANO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join Flint Long to play piano or just listen. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15501, West End.

LINE DANCING. 12 - 1 p.m. Looking for new ways to get your daily exercise in and care for yourself? Try line dancing. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR VOLLEYBALL. 1 - 2 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Get fit while having fun. Free to participate. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. All materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

DANCE. 2 - 2:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Instructor Maria Amaya will introduce you to dance fitness in a class designed for anyone who wants to gently and gradually increase cardio function, mobility and balance and have fun at the same time. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCING. 2 p.m. The town of Vass will host line dancing for seniors every other Wednesday. Cost is $5 per session. Vass Town

Hall, 140 S. Alma St., Vass. Info: www.townofvassnc.gov.

TAI CHI. 2 - 3 p.m. Adults 55 and older can take a Tai Chi 8 and Beijing 24 forms class. The classes continue every Wednesday through May 27. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LIBRARY PROGRAM. 3:30 p.m. At The Library After School (ATLAS) is an afterschool program for ages kindergarten through second grade who enjoy activities, crafts, stories and meeting new friends. Dates this month are April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net

TAI CHI. 6:30 p.m. Learn tai chi. There is no age limit and the classes are open to the public. Cost is $10 per class. Seven Lakes West Community Center, 556 Longleaf Drive, Seven Lakes. Info: (910) 400-5646.

THURSDAYS

VIRTUAL SPINNING CLASS. 8:30 - 9 a.m. Adults 18 and older can do a 30-minute fun and effective bike workout. Limit of seven people per class. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. The year-round market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius

providing fresh, local and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. Market is located at the Armory Sports Complex, 604 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines.

GIVEN STORY TIME. 10 a.m. Bring your preschooler to enjoy stories, songs and activities. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy a class to help reduce the risk of taking a tumble and increase the ability to recover if they do. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MUSIC AND MOTION. 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. Does your toddler like to move and groove? Join Music and Motion to get those wiggles out and work on gross and fine motor skills. For 2 - 5-year-olds. An active library card is required. Dates this month are April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

GENTLE YOGA. 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to unwind, recharge and find peace in their week. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MAHJONG. 1 - 3 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Mahjong involves skill, strategy, calculation and luck. Requires four players. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

IMPROVERS LINE DANCE. 3 - 5:30 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

LITTLE U. 3:45 p.m. Little U is a preschool program for children ages 3 1/2 - 5. Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and activities that explore the world of books, language and literacy. Little U is a fun and interactive program designed to help preschoolers develop early literacy skills in preparation

for kindergarten and beyond. Dates this month are April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

FRIDAYS

AEROBIC DANCE. 9 - 10 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy a low-to-moderate impact class with energizing music for an overall cardio and strength workout. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

JAM SESSION. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Do you like to play an instrument, sing or just listen to music? Join a music jam session. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TAP CLASS. 10 - 11:30 a.m. For adults 55 and older. All levels welcome. Cost for six-month membership: $18/resident; $26/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

QIGONG. 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Classes will consist of chair and standing movements to help soothe low back pain, achy feet and tight hips while easing restriction in mobility. Free of charge.

Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. All materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

DRUM CIRCLE. 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Adults 18 and older can feel the rhythm, find their groove and connect through the beat. No experience necessary. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SATURDAYS

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. The market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius providing fresh, local and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. The market begins March 14 and runs through Nov. 21. Downtown Southern Pines, 156 S.E. Broad St., Southern Pines.

SANDHILLS FARMERS MARKET. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Sandhills Farmers Market features the area’s farms, nurseries, bakeries, meat and egg providers, cheesemakers and specialty food producers. The market runs twice weekly through September 30 at Tufts Park, 1 Village Green Road W., Pinehurst. For more information visit: www.moorefarmfresh.com. PS

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March Women of Weymouth Meeting

Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Photographs by Diane McKay

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Young People’s Fine Arts Festival

Campbell House

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Photographs by Diane McKay

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April PineNeedler

Across

1. At right angle to a ship’s length

6. Savings, checking, etc., for short

10. Viper

13. Asian country

14 Exposed

15. Neither’s partner

16. Thorny plant

17. Shock

18. Boxer Muhammad

19. Schedule

21. Pestered

23. Indistinct

24. Humor

25. Italian capital

26. Dues

29. ____school

31. Billboards

32. Lard

33. Noggin

34. Fourth notes in the musical scale

35. Arrow sport

37. Tiny puncture

41. Unrefined metal

42. Chime

43. “Blind as a __”

44. Worth

47. Memorization

48. ____byte

49. Beers

50. Behold

51. Her

53. “___ Heaven” TV show

55. Kept an eye on

59. __ Lanka

60. Opera solo

62. Christopher of Superman fame

63. Snacked

64. Feathered friend

65. Gray matter

66. Hallucinogenic drug, for short

67. Hurried

68. Not happily

Down

1. 1970s Swedish pop group

2. Small town

3. Canal

4. Revises

5. __ Gras

6. Sixpack muscles

7. Feline toy stuffing

8. Bottle for salad dressings

9. Tepee

10. Not digital

11. Sedate

12. Lion groups

20. Unit of electric current

22. Short for Patricia

24. Marry

26. Agricultural student organization, for short

27. Serving of corn

28. And so forth

30. Visible light

31. Crooned

33. Roll call answer

34. Best

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36. Dwelling

37. Cavity

38. Japanese sash

39. Fall behind 40. Pilot’s announcement, for short

42. Female deer

44. Serf

45. Notifies 46. Fined

47. Ask back

48. Category

50. Disrobe

52. Seasonings

54. Catches

56. ____Heads, Garcia fans

Satanic

Veto

Supplement

A Magic Moment

By Jim moriarty

I find it hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since Jack and I won the Masters. God bless him, he’s gotten old. Jack has shrunk over the decades. He blames, at least in part, his cascading vertebra on the cortisone shots he received in his back to relieve pain when he was a teenage golfer. At the Father and Son Challenge in 2020, Gary Player joked that he never thought he’d out-drive Jack, “and I never thought I’d be taller than him either.”

Jack and I didn’t get off to the best of starts. It was the 1979 Colgate Hall of Fame Classic on Pinehurst’s No. 2 course. I was a relative newcomer to golf. Jack had already made a favorable impression on the game. (If you think 15 majors is good.) I met him on Maniac Hill, where he was warming up. I was there to take as many swing sequences as players would allow for Golf World magazine, where I was the associate editor — a title that conveyed with it cameras and lenses, something I was beyond ill-prepared for. I introduced myself and asked Jack if he would mind if I took a swing sequence of him. He rather politely agreed, being a good friend of my editor in chief, Dick Taylor. Whenever Dick traveled to Palm Beach, he bunked in with the Nicklauses.

The sequence camera was — and I suppose still is if, God forbid, you can find one — called a Hulcher. It was a rattletrap box of whirling, grinding widgets, invented by an otherwise perfectly harmless little man of the same name to photograph rockets taking off for the Department of Defense. While it may have been useful for Wernher von Braun, it was a curse to any golf photographer who ever touched one, with the exception of World Golf Hall of Fame photographer Leonard Kamsler, who had mysteriously managed to tame his personal Hulcher the way Siegfried and Roy tamed white tigers.

Jack never pulled a club back until he was absolutely, positively, unconditionally ready to hit the ball. He could stand motionless over a putt longer than any human being who ever lived. His full shots weren’t much different. When I got ready to take Jack’s swing sequence, he was addressing the ball. I began running the camera, sending 35mm film screaming through the beast at 40

or 60 frames per second, I can’t remember which, making a noise not dissimilar to a Navy destroyer raising anchor. The film came in 100 foot rolls and I’d run about 80 of it through the camera when I stopped.

The motionless Nicklaus turned his head and stared at me. “I thought you were going to take a sequence,” he said.

“I thought you were going to swing,” I replied.

Not quite a year later, I had the chance to take Jack’s picture again, this time on the 18th green of Baltusrol Golf Club as he won his fourth U.S. Open. They hung the message “Jack Is Back” on the big leaderboard. As thousands rushed the green, Jack threw up his hands like a London traffic cop, stopping the hordes in their tracks. Isao Aoki had yet to putt out. Lost in the crowd, I climbed the tree at the back of the green, a vantage point that — given my limited photojournalistic capabilities — didn’t yield much better pictures than the ones I’d gotten that day on Maniac Hill.

By 1986, through sheer repetition, I’d improved. Most of my photos were functionally usable. Jack, on the other hand, had gone in the opposite direction. His return in 1980 lasted through the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, which gave every appearance of being the final major he would win, leaving his total at 17. Then came that Sunday in Augusta.

As Jack was charging on the back nine and Seve Ballesteros was collapsing, I found myself funneled to the right of the 16th green, trapped behind half the population of Georgia. Unable to squeeze in to take a photo, I became a spectator, too. For comparison purposes only, I once attended one of Bo Schembechler’s postgame interviews conducted in a tiny room with a single bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, off the same concrete tunnel the University of Michigan marching band used to exit the stadium, jammed shoulder to shoulder, playing “Hail to the Victors” at incalculable decibel levels. I promise you, the noise the crowd made in the valley at Augusta National that day as Jack walked from the 16th green to the 17th tee was far, far louder — so loud his eyes welled with tears as he walked up 17. Mine, too.

The echo of those cheers still rattles my bones, even if they are 40 years older. PS

Jim Moriarty is PineStraw’s editor.