10 thursday, september 15, 2011 the Carrboro Citizen

A thousAnd wordsby JoCk Lautererdo you have an important old photo that you value? email your photo to jock@email.unc.edu and include the story behind the picture. because every picture tells a story. and its worth? a thousand words.

Just down the road in shangri-La

i have the best job in the world in the summer when i hit north Carolina’s backroads that take me to

the state’s many community newspapers, where i lead journalism workshops. and it is these modest

backroads – the so-called “blue highways” – that provide the unhurried soul with such a rich visual experi-

ence. From this summer, here’s my favorite “roadside vernacular” – just outside of yanceyville (between

hillsborough and danville, Va.,) you’ll come upon a miniature white-rocked village that is worth a stop just

to gawk. according to a 1979 edition of the state magazine, the little village named “shangri-La” is the result

of nine years’ work by the late henry Warren, a retired farmer who never met a little white rock he didn’t like.

Working on the miniature rock village as a hobby from the time he was 77 until his death at 84 in 1977, henry

told reporter James earl hester, “the more you build, the more enthused you get.” so it would seem. henry’s

village includes an old mill, a bank, a gym, a library, a fire station, a church, a theatre, a water tower – and at

the time of his passing he was working on a hospital. you’ll find shangri-La on n.C. 86 just across the Caswell

County line, set back from the road on the right in the community of prospect hill.

WATER WATCH our reservoirs Are 69.20% fuLL

PreCiP this month: 2.72” PAst 12 months: 41.86”

Customer demAnd tues: 8.068 million gallons / monthly avg: 7.74 million gallons

estimAted suPPLy: 318 days worth

fLorAFrom page 1

resulted in edge habitats everywhere. it may be neces-sary to step in and modestly curtail the exuberance of our valuable native vines from time to time, like the back-yard morning-glory man-agement i described in last week’s Flora. When dealing with the sometimes invasive qualities of our native vines, it is important to keep in mind that the natives provide critical food and shelter for our native fauna, whereas the value of the exotic vines is negligible or nonexistent.

in my wild yard i am managing another exuber-ant native vine; keeping it

in check is easy, less than a half-hour weeding per year. some of you may recognize this sprawling, small three- to five-lobed leaved vine with tiny yellow flowers followed by miniature watermelon-shaped fruit. it’s called creeping cucumber, Melothria pendula, and the species epi-thet is descriptive of the very pendulous oval berry.

i well remember years ago when an older friend of mine discovered it in my yard and began consuming it with gusto, but please be advised that though this little cuke is described on some web-sites as being edible while still green (before it ripens black), i don’t recommend it. my native plant guru, dr. Jim

duke, does not include it in his Handbook of Edible Weeds and ritchie bell and anne Lindsey, Wild Flowers of North Carolina, advise: “the berries have a strong laxative effect and are considered toxic; do not ingest! ”

be like me and simply ob-serve the miniature flowers and fruits and contemplate what manner of wildlife may depend on this diminutive native vine.

Email Ken Moore at flora@carrborocitizen.com. Find previous Ken Moore Citizen columns at The Annotated Flora (carrborocitizen.com/flora).

Creeping cucumbers are definitely pendulous. photo by ken moore

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