Did You Know? Inside This Issue Did You Know? 1

From the Editor 2

The Property Manager’s Report 3

Crowfields Annual Cookie Swap 4

From the Archives

A Niche at Crowfields 5

For Your Information 6

Activities and Events 7

Announcements and Reminders 8

From the Kitchen 9

The CHATTER Life at Crowfields

“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.”

Vincent van Gogh

The Crowfields Chatter is Edited by Janet Moore and Published by Gayle

Connell. If you have ideas, an article or photos you would like to

submit, contact Janet at 778-9300 or mp341683@gmail.com

February was named after Februa, which was a purification ritual and was considered as an early Roman Spring-Cleaning Festival. In this festival, people were actually washed— (what a concept!) February holds the record for the most frequently misspelled word in the English language, plus many people cannot pronounce it correctly. February is the only month that can actually pass without a full moon. It is highly interesting to note after every six years only February is a month that contains full 7-day weeks while the other months fail to fulfill this condition. February, March and November are month twins! This means these three months always start on the same day of the week unless February has a Leap Year, like this year. When February has a leap year, it twins with the month of August.

FEBRUARY 2020

Mother Nature presented me with an unexpected gift recently – an American river otter frolicking in the lower pond. At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes. So, I grabbed the binoculars and there it was, big as life. A couple of days later my neighbor and fellow naturalist Paul MacDonald confirmed the sighting. What a relief to know I wasn’t hallucinating. (https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Mammals/River-Otter)

This is good news for Crowfields. There was a time when otters had disappeared from Western North Carolina. They weren’t reintroduced until the 1990s. You’ll find the remarkable story of their reintroduction here: https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Mammals/River-Otter#87021664-management

We have other pond visitors, too – a pair of Hooded Merganser ducks. These spectacular divers are a common sight at Lake Junaluska but not common on our ponds. We have seen males before, but never what appears to be a mated pair. Here’s hoping these fast swimmers stay a spell.

Taking their clues from the weather, our resident birds are preparing for spring. Keep an eye on the mallards over the coming weeks. You’ll see the males changing into their mating finery. Their normally muted green heads will become iridescent and their dull yellow feet and bills will become almost florescent. Meanwhile, the Canada geese are getting more vocal and territorial, all part of their mating rituals. Stay tuned for twitterpating on the ponds. The foxes, coyotes, opossums and raccoons are eagerly anticipating the easy pickings their nests will provide.

At the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office, the bluebirds have already started building new nests in the bright blue boxes that dot the campus. By any measure, this is early and yet another example of how a changing climate is affecting our beautiful corner of the world.

What can we do about it? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants. They store the carbon and emit oxygen. By replacing our aging trees with native hardwoods, such as maples, walnuts, hickories, oaks, sweet gums, and sourwoods, we can make a difference.

They have added benefits. These trees are great eye candy and more. Yes, they drop leaves. But those leaves, which are so magnificent in the fall, turn into mulch that nourishes the soil. Yes, they drop nuts. But those nuts feed the wildlife that share the campus with us. Stay tuned for more information this year about how you can use Crowfields Gifted Funds to keep our campus healthy, productive, and natural. In the meantime, check out this link for more information about trees and climate change. https://www.arborday.org/trees/climatechange/fightHome.cfm

From the Editor By Janet Moore

Page 2

Crowfields BOD Meeting, Tuesday, February 4th at 4 pm Crowfields BOD Work Session, Tuesday, February 28th at 4 pm

CrowfieldsBOD@gmail.com

CCA Meetings for February

2020

The Property Manager’s Report By Charles Bennett

Page 3

Mulch, mulch, mulch, is the word of the month. Pete and crew are busy preparing beds for fresh mulch. Our past mulch supplier increased his pricing for 2020, but fortunately, Pete was able to secure a supplier with premium mulch at a reasonable price point. The main caveat was we had to order in bulk, but Pete came up with a plan to handle that problem. With limited space at the maintenance parking area and the clubhouse parking area, another location had to be found. One location, which I had given little thought to, was ideal. The area of Crowfields Drive, which encircles the large island in the 400 block, was chosen. A section of the Drive was blocked at each end to allow our supplier ample room to dump a semi-truck load of material easily. Traffic is unencumbered, giving all who live there, access to and from their homes. Thank you, Pete, for your forward-thinking. We will save approximately $2,500 in mulching costs this year due to Pete’s efforts, proving your staff is always finding ways to reduce or at least maintain your costs.

Pockets of leaves still remain in some areas of the property. If you are experiencing a collection of leaves in your court yard or front entry please contact the office so we can address it. Right now, the ground crew is focusing on mulching work and not general cleanup, so giving us a head’s up much appreciated.

J.T. and James, your building repair team, are still preparing buildings for future painting. A contractor has been hired to assist them with this work. Equipment, which we do not have on-site, has been brought in by the contractor to speed the repair work while offering a higher level of safety for the workmen. “O” cluster is nearing renovation completion and, after many years of delayed painting, it now looks great, and once receiving a fresh coat of paint, should last years into the future. Because of J.T. and James’ inventive ideas and detail to water intrusion prevention techniques and practices to this building’s exterior should be maintenance free for many years to come. They, too, have proven their value to the community with their cost-containment efforts. Prior testing of materials and attention to flashing details, which they perfected before renovation work began, was critical. All this front-end work will definitely pay big dividends in the future. Thanks to both for their efforts and conscientious work ethics.

On another note, to keep everyone apprised of the efforts to move the office into this century, Gayle has been hard at work reviewing and then choosing an appropriate web-based application for work orders. Once she gets all the back-end information loaded into the software, we will have the ability to monitor and track the work orders more efficiently and timely. Additionally, this package includes an inventory section which will assist the maintenance crew in tracking parts and supplies.

Crowfields Annual Cookie Swap

Page 4

In December, the annual Crowfields Cookie Swap brought forth multitudes of beautiful, delicious cookies. Many more than we could take home or have for a snack! All the extras were bagged and given to the Veterans' Restoration Quarters, located in east Asheville. This is a temporary refuge for homeless veterans which provides shelter,

meals (including homemade cookies !!), job training and counseling. Thanks to all who contributed.

A Niche at Crowfields Ed and Jan Smith

Page 5

I don’t know when my parents wrote this column for The Chatter. It was sometime in the 1990s. The Clemson reference is Dad’s. He graduated from the then all-male military college as a first lieutenant in 1938. The bird information is Mom’s contribution. While they were both birders, it was Mom who could identify a bird purely by its call. Enjoy! Maybe it was because she didn’t need hearing aids. JSM

In the dark ages of my undergraduate college training at what was then Clemson Agricultural College (1934-1938), I don’t remember encountering the term “niche.” Then came the environmental movement, and the word became part of the lexicon. According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a niche is “a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species.”

The niche principle was convincingly demonstrated on our grounds when last spring a maple tree, hollow to the core, was felled by a strong March wind. As the grounds crew moved expeditiously to remove the fallen tree top, it occurred to them that the hollow trunk still standing would be an inviting home for some creature. Rather than cut the stump at ground level, they left it ten feet high and capped it with a neat slanted wooden roof. What an inviting home!

Would it attract a pair of flying squirrels, a pair of fly catchers or owls? By early September, we had our answer. An Eastern screech owl, seven to 10 inches in height, had moved in. This is the only small eastern owl with ear tufts (feathered “horns” that cover the ears). The species occurs in two color phases, gray and rufous (a ruddy brown). Ours was in the rufous phase. With large eyes, prominent ear tufts and dark face stripes, it made a striking appearance.

Imagine the luck of the draw that Cluster P should have in its backyard such an engaging neighbor. From his shelter, the screech owl could see the vista of the meadow and the marsh, teeming with such tasty favorites as crickets, grasshoppers, mice, voles and frogs. In his avian wisdom, he would have to conclude that the good life at Crowfields was not the exclusive privilege of mere humans.

He had good neighbors in Cluster P and excellent nearby grocery shopping in the meadow and marsh. Just a short flight away, there was ideal courting territory among the magnificent hardwoods of Biltmore Forest. On a still frosty February night, when the moon cast shadows on the meadow, his wavering courtship could be heard hauntingly through the woodlands. Hopefully his musical overtures would bear fruit.

Nothing would have pleased the Crowfields staff more than to accommodate a new household with a set of brass numbers: The Owl Residence at 123 Crowfields Marsh. Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Screech owl. Come share your wisdom with us. (We need it.) Join us, won’t you, for First Friday, or Simple Supper or our monthly Potluck. Just remember. It’s BYOB. After all, who knows what owls like to drink?

To learn more about the Eastern screech owl and how to keep them coming back to Crowfields, click here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/overview#.

(Editor’s Note: As a Cornell alum, I am more than a little biased about the scientifically-sound research coming out of this esteemed university. So, if you want to learn more about birds, you can’t beat allaboutbirds.org. It’s produced by Cornell’s Ornithology Department, the same folks who saved the Peregrine falcon and California condor from extinction.)

From the Archives

Out and About for February

For Your Information

Saturday, Feb. 1st—Out and About to the Concert. Join us at the Blue Ridge Orchestra’s Concert, presented at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in North Asheville. This program includes: Ibert: Concerto for Cello, Percival: Sicilienne for Strings and English Horn, Mozart: Symphony 29, and Haydn: Symphony 45. Tickets $15 at the door. <blueridgeorchestra.org> 828-782-3354. Carpool departs the clubhouse at 3:15 for a 4:30 start time. Snow date is February 8th. More info call Bonnie Gordon 828-773-1809.

Monday, Feb. 10th—Out to Lunch. One of our regulars raves about the hot dogs at French Fryz. The Monday special is $1 hot dogs, they also have great hamburgers and soups, etc. Carpool leaves the clubhouse at 1:00.

Saturday, Feb. 15th—Out to the Festival. The first Asheville Celtic Festival will take place at the WNC Agricultural Center. <AshevilleCelticFest.com> Everything Celtic will be found here—food, music, dancing, Celtic sports, Scotch tastings, family heritage research and vendors. Tickets $5-$12.50. Carpool departs the clubhouse at 10:00

Tuesday, Feb. 25th—Out to Early Voting. Register and vote early in the state and national primary elections. Bring your ID. Transportation departs for early voting site at 10:00. Registration process takes about 30 minutes. For more info call Bonnie Gordon 828-773-1809.

Page 6

After a valiant, 18-year fight with cancer, Jim Bagley (607 Crowfields Lane), passed away peacefully at his home here in Crowfields early Wednesday morning, January 22. Born September 24, 1938, in Norwood, MA, Jim spent much of his adult life as an Electronics Engineer in Denver, CO. He was an accomplished watercolor artist and mandolin player, as well as an avid golfer. He and his partner, Beverly Clark, enjoyed an adventure packed 12 years together, traveling in their camper. A life well lived… A memorial service and celebration of his life is planned for February 23, at the Crowfields Clubhouse.

Page 7 Activities and Events for February 2020

Refer also to the online Activities Billboards and monthly calendars available on Crowfields Members website, which can be printed, if desired. For general activities questions, please contact Helen Eill or Bonnie Gordon. Contact persons for specific activities are indicated in blue following the activity listing

below. Updates and reminders for activities and events are communicated via the Weekly Activities Reminder sent out by email to the community.

MONDAYS

8:30 Crowfields Walkers (Helen Eill) 10:00 Men’s Coffee & Conversation (Mike Herzoff) (Resumes 1/6) 1:00 Pound Class (King Goslin) 2:00 Crafts & Conversation (Virginia West/Adrienne Williams) 7:00 Movie Night (2/3 and 2/17) – The World’s Fastest Indian/Hopkins & Ladd /Donaldson

TUESDAYS Feb 4 @ 4:00 BOD Meeting Feb 28 @ 4:00 BOD Work Session – The World’s Fastest Indian/Hopkins & Ladd /Donaldson

WEDNESDAYS 8:30 Crowfields Walkers (Helen Eill) 11:00 Pound Class (King Goslin) NOTE—NO POUND CLASS ON 2/26 1:30 Mah Jongg (Anne Simmons) 6:30 Simple Suppers (Carol Schmidt)

Th W ld’ F t t I di /H ki & L dd /D ld

THURSDAYS 1:00 Hand & Foot Cards (Virginia West) Feb 13 @ 1:30 Jill Preyer presents Advance Directive Workshop 1:30 Crowfields Writers at 718 Lane

– The World’s Fastest Indian/Hopkins & Ladd /Donaldson

FRIDAYS 8:30 Crowfields Walkers (Helen Eill) 11:00 Chair Chi (Maggie Crowell) Feb 7 @ 5:30 First Friday – (Carol Schmidt) Feb 14 @ 4:00 Games, Games, Games (Helen Eill) Feb 21 @ 5:30 Pot Luck (Adrienne Williams)

SATURDAY

Feb 29 @ 1:30 Welcome Committee Winter Social in the Clubhouse

Announcements/Reminders Page 8

REMINDERS…

• Rabies Vaccination Requirement--

Please don’t forget our Rules and Regulations Revised December 2019 (F. Pets, #7), require dog owners to provide the business office with a copy of your pet’s rabies vaccination record. Please be sure to submit a copy no later than February 29, 2020.

• Medical Emergency Form—This form has recently been updated, and will hand delivered to your mailbox soon. It is essential the business office has your updated information on file in the case of an emergency. These records under lock and key in your unit file in the Crowfields business office. It is very important every resident completes the updated form and returns it to the Crowfields office no later than March 2, 2020.

• Important Snow Removal Reminder—When the Maintenance Crew is taking care of the snow removal throughout the clusters, it is imperative you do not park with the nose or the back end of your car extending over the sidewalk. In order for the Crew to completely clear the sidewalks, there must not be any obstruction in the way.

copy of their dog’s current rabies vaccination record to the property management office when the dog arrives in

Did you know all applications for residency, whether to be an owner or to lease a unit, have to be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors? Those who are thinking about selling their unit, must have an approved application before they can accept earnest monies from a buyer. When it comes to leasing a unit, again this application has to be approved before any lease is signed or deposits are received. The Board requests that applications are received for their review at least 10-days prior to a Board meeting (the first Tuesday of each month.) When it comes to closing on a sale/purchase of a unit, the Crowfields business office (located in the clubhouse) needs advance notice of no less than 10-days prior to a closing for all the documents necessary to be signed, notarized and placed in the hands of the attorney’s office. Unless prior arrangements have been made due to unforeseen circumstances, there is no guarantee the documents will be ready in time and this could jeopardize the closing, forcing the closing to be rescheduled. It is in your best interest to speak with the business office before you buy/sell or lease a unit.

Page 9

Oh my gosh, I just found out that February 2nd is National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! Where has this been all my life? Ice cream is my all-time favorite thing to eat no matter what the day

but to know it has a special day, in February, (that just happens to be my birth month), is terrific. I am over the moon. In honor of ice cream for breakfast…

1 (approx. 4” long cinnamon stick) Ceylon is the most fragrant. You can use ground cinnamon here, using about 1 tablespoon, more or less as desired, as a substitution.

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk (you can use 2% but it will not taste as rich)

Good dash of fine sea salt

6 large egg yolks

_________________

Break cinnamon stick into pieces and grind in spice grinder or food processor along with the sugars until very finely ground. Even if you use ground cinnamon instead of the stick, you still need to process the sugars and the cinnamon together.

In small heavy pot, simmer the milk, cream, cinnamon sugar and salt until the sugar is completely dissolved. (To test for a smooth mixture--stick your index finger in the pot and rub together with your thumb to be sure the mixture is completely dissolved. If you feel any grit, continue to heat until it is completely smooth.) Remove pot from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until creamy. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk the hot mixture into the egg yolks. When it is completely incorporated, pour this mixture back into the pot.

Return the pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon or it reads 170° on an instant read thermometer. Be careful with the heat, you don’t want scrambled eggs. Remove from heat, allow custard to cool, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Once completely cold, churn the mixture in an ice cream machine if you have it. I use a Donvier, which is fantastic little manual machine—find it on Amazon, or pour mixture into a shallow metal pan and place in freezer. You will need to check it every 15 minutes, until the consistency is where you want it, soft vs. firm.

Goes terrific with pies, tarts, pastries, cakes, or as I like it, just by itself…Enjoy!

Rich Cinnamon Ice Cream

From the Kitchen Recipes by Gayle