Dear Sun Spots: Since I have so much faith in your column, I don’t know anywhere else to plead my case so I’ll pour my heart out to you.

I am a member of the United States Golf Teachers Federation, although I am not fully certified. I am an avid golfer interested in teaching children and seniors golf. I live in Phillips and the nearest course is about 20 miles away. So if I teach beginners of all ages, the children get a chance to get to a golf course.

Last year I had an hour program for children at Halfway Down The Stairs Child Care which was successful in teaching them that golf is fun. For those unfamiliar with this, golf teaches a child honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship and it’s a game for a lifetime.

For several years I have re-gripped golf clubs and made beginner sets for children as well as adults, nearly 30 in all. When my husband Gordon Davenport passed away in 1999, I set up a fund at United Kingfield Bank in his memory under Golf Opportunities for Children. It is through donations to this fund that I have been able to rebuild and distribute clubs. Many people leave old clubs, bags, etc., at my home and I refer to my account as a clearing house for clubs.

The only place I have been able to work with children was my yard, which is rather small and with a house and garage in the way, as well as Route 142 which has been intimidating. Last year I approached a gentleman in Phillips and asked if I could please use his field if I kept it mowed. I was thrilled when he said yes and never tired of the eight hours I spent with my riding mower. Everyone knows the grass had a bumper growing year in 2004. Another man volunteered to haul my mower each trip from my home to the field and back for five months.

My purpose in writing to you is to plea for someone who might have a riding, blade, mower in good working condition in their barn or garage that they no longer use. Perhaps they bought a new or larger one and still have the old one. Ideally I need one more than 28 inches but I would settle for any size that I could leave handy to the field. I’m looking for an outright donation, but I do have a 26-inch Sony TV that I would offer as a small stipend. There are some programs available but in researching I’ve learned that since my adopted field is privately owned I can’t apply for it.

If you are interested in talking with me, I can be reached at 639-4296, or via P.O. Box 77, Phillips, ME 04966.

My adopted field will never be a golf course, and I don’t intend it to be. It’s aptly named JUSTAFIELD Golf Teaching Center. Sincerely, thank you. – Winona Davenport, Phillips.

Dear Sun Spots: I’m looking for a hard-to-find perennial plant called Sweet Cicily. The leaves are similar to a fern and it has flowers that resemble Queen Anne’s Lace. It smells like licorice when you rub the new leaves between your fingers. I would be willing to pay a reasonable price for a small clump if anyone has any to spare. I can be reached at (207) 353-9537. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, Sweet Cicily (Osmorhiza longistylis) is a perennial plant found growing in the woods. The thick, bundled roots produce branched stems from 1½ to 3 feet tall. The alternate, ternate-pinnate leaves grow on sheathing petioles and have ovate to oblong-ovate leaf segments. The inconspicuous white flowers grow in loose compound umbels during May and June. The whole plant has an anise-like odor. Common Names: Anise root, Sweet anise, Sweet chervil. Flowers: May – June. Parts Used: Root. Habitat: Moist woods. Ontario to North Carolina; Oklahoma to North Dakota.

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