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PHOTO BY BILL FAVER
AMONG THE ACTIVITIES on a fifty-foot lot was a dove nesting and caring for her young.
All On A Fifty-Foot Lot
BY BILL FAVER
It seems natural that wc tend to overlook those
things most familiar to us in our surroundings. The
things we sec everyday are so
commonplace, wc don't take much
time to observe them. That's the
way it was with me last week at
the bcach as I sat with binoculars
watching birds and porpoises a
ways off shore. I was so interested
in seeing what was happening out
there, I missed completely what
was happening on my small piece
of land.
1 had known about the mocking
bird nest in a yaupon bush at the end of a flower bed
and they had left the nest, but the mockers were still
around and were annoyed by our old, one-eyed cat
Then 1 saw another nest in a pine. A dove had selected
a large limb and placcd her nest just where it joined
the tree trunk. Her little platform was in full view from
my rocking chair and I watched her all week as she
tended the two young who were near flying size and
FAVER
would soon Icive the ncsl. There were some warblers
and a pair of wrens working the cuonymous bushes for
insects and a male cardinal would fly in and out, but I
could find no evidence of a nest.
Dragonflies zoomed across the yard, particularly in
early morning and late afternoon, to feast on the "no
sccums" and other small insects. A few butterflies
worked the gaillardias and bees were on the yaupon.
Blackberry bushes in the dunes were about ready to
offer berries for breakfast cereal or a cobbler. A strug
gling oleander near the dunes bloomed red once more.
There was a lot going on that I couldn't see, of
course. The vines and grasses gave tunnels for rabbits
and micc and the sand dunes supported yuccas, sea
oats, beach grass and lots of ghost crab tunnels.
It's fun to take inventory of what's happening on a
small lot. There is much more than we can observe, for
we can't sec it all. But it helps remind us there is much
more value to the land than the use we have for it.
When we understand that, we're on the way to realiz
ing we share the world and our 50-foot lots with other
creatures just as important to the ecosystem as we are.
MORE LETTERS
A Good Thing's No Lonqer Free
To the editor:
A song says the best things in
life are free and, until recently, one
of the best free things was walking
the Holdcn Beach Fishing Pier,
feeding the gulls and watching the
many fishermen.
Residents since 1987 (home
owners since 1985, vacationers
since 1975), we have always taken
European and USA friends and
family to lunch at the pier and then
enjoy a walk to the end to show
them our lovely Holdcn Beach.
Everyone loved the pier walk.
Now there is a 25-cent spectator
fee to be charged for walking on
this lovely pier. We've asked in
South Carolina and believe most of
Myrtle Beach piers arc free for
walking. Those on Long Beach and
Ocean Isle arc free, we believe, but
haven't been to them recently.
How discouraging it is and will
be to those of us who walked the
pier in winter for health purposes
and those who merely wanted to
soak in the beauty of ocean, sky,
pelicans diving for food, and now
have to fork out 25 cents each time
they want to continue to enjoy these
pleasures.
Best things in life are free? Not!
Jacqueline and Edgar Phillips
Supply
President Should
Avoid Meeting
To the editor:
Do you cat meat, use frozen and
convenience foods? Do you use
electric appliances? Docs your fami
ly have an automobile? Do you live
and work in air conditioning?
If so, you are one of those selfish,
deeadent Americans who arc de
stroying the world's ecological
health.
According to the Secrctary-Gcn
cral of UNCED, a shift is necessary
'Towards lifestyles . . . less geared
to . . . environmentally damaging
consumption patterns." In other
words, all of the above luxuries have
got to go.
What is UNCED? The United
Nations Conference on Environment
and Development to be held in Rio
de Janiero in June, it will be attend
ed by politicians from all over the
world. Also represented will be en
vironmentalists who have been con
ducting a massive propaganda cam
paign for at least 20 years, scaring to
death Americans, especially the
younger generation, with unproven
threats of global warming, ozone de
piction, pollution and overpopula
tion.
What is the purpose of this ex
ploitation of our sincere concern for
"Mother Earth?" Certainly the re
sults will be more regulations, en
forcement by a powerful world or
ganization and economic disaster for
all countries.
The annual report by World
Watch Institute states, "Building an
environmentally sustainable future
requires nothing short of a revolu
tion." A "new world order?" Is that
what this is all about? Write or call
the White House now and ask our
President not to attend. He must not
participate in this anti-U. S., anti
family agenda.
Catherine Moore
Burgaw
Concert Band
A Fine Resource
To the editor:
So few Brunswick County people
know what a wonderful musical re
source they have in the Brunswick
Concert Band, an all-volunteer
group.
The benefit concern for the Adult
Day Care Centers May 17 was in
spiring, and I am truly sorry that so
few were there to enjoy this signifi
cant local group.
We thank the director, Paul
Pittenger, and each of his excellent
musicians, for their contribution to
ADC as well as to the county. The
medleys from Phantom of the
Opera, St. Louis Blues and George
Gershwin were great, but the Salute
to Glenn Miller and A String of
rpjl AUTO
Xtl S ELECTRIC
ALTERNATORS STARTERS
VOLTAGE REGULATORS GENERATORS
REPAIR? REBUILT? EXCHANGED
AUTOMOTIVE WIRING
754-7656
Royal Oak Road & Hwy. 17 N., Shallotte
?-1?t rut ARUNSMlCK Qt .AC.ON
Pearls brought exultations of sheer
joy and nostalgia to the mostly older
audience.
Thanks also to the school board
for making the middle school cafete
ria available, to my very good com
mittee and especially Isabel Bcc'oe,
who put it together.
We must get the concert band
back to this end of the county, for
there are hundreds of you out there
who would truly enjoy their music.
William F. (Bill) Potts, Jr.
Board Member
Brunswick Adult Day Care, Inc.
Shallotte
Animal We/fare
League Will Help
To the editor:
I read the letter to the editor in the
May 7 issue by Danny McLean,
pointing out the number of dogs and
cats which inundate the area with
offspring becausc they aren't spayed
or neutered.
A number of years ago I, too, was
concerned about the unwanted pet
population so I started an organiza
tion called the Brunswick County
Animal Welfare League, built dona
tion boxes and placed them around
the county to accept donations to
help pay for neutering and spaying.
Evidendy Mr. McLean is new in
the area or we need more publicity.
Anyone wanting financial help
with neutering or spaying cats or
dogs may call Jack or Jewel Perry at
754-4896. They are officers and can
explain how you can get a certificate
to help pay the veterinarian's bill.
Tcddi Ncal
Bolivia
We call it a
vertebral subluxation.
You probably call it a
pain in the rear.
When your vertebrae are out of alignment,
it can literally mean a "pain in the
behind " Your nerve flow has been altered
due to nerve interference, a condition
which can be treated effectively with
chiropractic care. So, whatever you choose
to call the condition, stop putting up with
it- and call us instead.
LABOD
CHIROPRACTIC
(803)249-9787
Across from Hardees
LITTLE RIVERJ5C
57 Channels And
What is all this stuff on my televi
sion?
Like any other red-blooded
American, the first thing I did after
moving into our new Holden Beach
digs was to hook the TV to what I
thought was the antenna wire poking
through a hole in the floor.
As I flipped through the channels
I got the distinct impression I had
been missing something during my
sojourn in the mountains.
"Toto," I said to myself. "I've got
a feeling we're not in Hootcrville
anymore."
When you live a mile from the
nearest pavement on the side of Bald
Top Mountain, you don't get out
much. And not much gets in. No
Welcome Wagon. No pizza deliv
ery. No Trick-Or-Trcatcrs. In fact
the only unannounced visitors we
saw in five years were the nice old
man from the U.S. Census and a
couple of missionaries. And they
didn't stay long.
We couldn't even get a newspa
per. Let alone cable. I was told it
might come our way as soon as they
paved the road. The state list said
Kyle's Creek Road would be paved
sometime after the Devil learned to
ice skate.
Consequently our television pic
ture looked as if the signal had been
dragged up the gravel road, bounced
off the mountainside and strained
between the trees. We could see two
networks on most days. Public TV
came in on a south wind. And occa
Eric f
Carlson
f
sionally Fox network would appear
during periods of heightened
sunspot activity.
If you wanted to watch something
on CBS, you had a triple image.
Which wasn't all had. It made foot
ball games much more interesting,
what with 66 guys and three balls on
the field. But it got a bit scary
around news time. I mean, who
wants three Dan Rathers in their liv
ing room?
All of a sudden I have cablc. So
of course I spent my first three days
in front of the tube zapping the
changer every few minutes to make
sure I wasn't missing a more inter
esting show on another channcl.
I quickly realized that much had
been added since I last gorged my
self on a smorgasbord of popular
culture. It seems we arc no longer
slaves to a few mighty networks
who decide what we watch and
when we watch it.
If I want to watch sports, there's
an all sports channcl. For weather
there's the all weather channcl.
There are movies on the all movie
Still Nothing's On
channcl, preachers on the all prcach
cr chaiincl and blabbering politicians
on ihe all blabbering politician chan
ncl. There's even old stuff on the all
old stuff channcl. And in case you
don't hear enough rap and heavy
metal music booming from the pick
up trucks on Main Street, there's
MTV, the all noise channcl.
But what amazed me were the all
commercial channels. Isn't that why
we all bought VCRs? To get away
from commercials? Of course these
arc not your average commercials.
Now, without leaving the comfort of
your couch you can purchase a ma
chine that makes enough beef jerky
to pay for itself in just one year! Or
for just 100 bucks you can get an at
tachment that will let you cut your
hair with your vacuum clcaner!
That's the one that wa?, on when I
woke up after the third day with my
eyes glazed over and my thumb
asleep from mashing the button.
There was this nagging "Ack! Ack!
Ack!" coming from my back porch.
I went outside and discovered
something amazing. There were
seagulls swooping and diving in
beautiful patterns over the canal.
And people heading out to go fish
ing. And after just a short walk I
could go swimming, or surfing, or
sailing or just walking along the
beach enjoying the sun and the sea
and the breeze.
Yes, Virginia. There is more to
life than television.
THE CAPE
FEAR
FOOT
CENTER
SOUTH BRUNSWICK ISLANDS
MEDICAL PARK
HWY. 17 SOUTH AND
UNION PRIMARY SCHOOL ROAD
Professional, Thorough and Gentle Foot Care
?Heel Pain / Heel Spur
?Bunions, Corns, Calluses
?Warts, Ingrown Nails
?Insurance forms tiled For You
? Blue Cross Costwise Provider
Dr. Gregory Young, DPM
Medical & Surgical Specialist of the Foot and Ankle
?Running / Sports Injuries / Broken Bones
?Diabetic Foot Care / Nail Care
?Alternatives to Surgery
?In-Office Surgery
? Most Insurances Accepted
? Medicare Assignment Accepted
By Appointment Only 579-0828
CI 991 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
JOHN F. BLAIR, PUB.
MEET NANCY RHYNE
THE CAROL! N AS* HOST POPULAR AUTHOR
the author of
TOURING THE COASTAL
SOUTH CAROLINA
BACKROADS
She will autograph copies of her books
at Lowell's Bookworm
located in Causeway Plaza
Holden Beach, North Carolina
on Saturday, June 6
from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
For more information, call 9 1 9-841-7 3 80
Nancy Rhyne is also the author of TALES OF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY, MORE TALES OF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY, MURDER IN THE CAROLINAS,
and MORE MURDER IN THE CAROLINAS
CtOSK? THC BRUNSWICK MACON