Kayaking Scenic Waterways

For much of the year we have very lovely weather here in central North Carolina. July and August are often hot, but the rest of the year is usually beautiful, with an abundance of sun. 

One of our favorite sports on cool days is kayaking. There are four kayaks in the community, and one is a tandem. It’s especially fun to take five people on outings (or people can borrow a kayak and go on their own). 

River kayaking is my favorite. The choices are paddling the serene Eno River along dense woodlands, or paddling a short section of the beautifully-rocky Flat River, gliding along lovely rock formations and tall banks covered in the springtime with Wild azaleas, mountain laurel and rhododendron. 

We are fortunate to have a variety of kayaking options near Elderberry. For a longish paddle in bigger waters, we can explore the coves of Mayo Lake, Kerr Lake, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake. 

Recently, coming into the fall, the smaller lakes wow us with stunning color, and the sun is tempered by the cool air. Two medium-sized lakes are very close-by, Holt Lake and Lake Michie. Both are surrounded by banks of wooded, undeveloped land. 

Marjorie and Mary getting ready to launch the kayaks. Holt lake actually has a convenient launching pad for kayaks!

Holt Lake is within fifteen minutes and also sports a small, low-key cafe with a deck overlooking the lake. Occasionally we’ll have lunch together after our paddle. Even though it’s simply a burgers and fries kind of place, the setting is peaceful and the local folks are friendly. 

Enjoy some of the images from our recent trips!

Marjorie paddled the smaller blue kayak. All of us stayed closer to the bank to see the wildlife and hear the birds. 

Mary and Judy paddled the yellow tandem Kayak. I enjoyed the colors and reflections as the three of them glided slowly along the wooded banks.

I never get tired of watching the ripples cross and intersect!

We paddled closer to the bank to see the wildlife and hear the birds. 

This trip was taken along the rocky banks following a creek upstream at Lake Michie. Mary, Riley her sweet dog are in the red kayak. The Duke University crew teams can often be seen slicing mightily through the lake as we meander lazily along the banks.

This is one of my favorite shots of Mary and Riley. If you look carefully, you’ll recognize Riley is in the kayak too, looking up at the big rocks, but she is very well camouflaged!!

The closest I got to a selfie was this shot of my bare toes on the foot rests!

In May of this year, our county approved a new park, only a few miles from us on the Flat River. They are planning for lots of trails, and have said that kayakers will be able to paddle the Flat River from the park to Lake Michie.  

I don’t think the County Commissioners have actually paddled the Flat, because unless the water level is high, it’s too rocky to paddle. When the water is high, the river is fast. But the park will be a nice addition, and maybe we will brave running the river when the water (and our adrenaline) is high ­— that might be our new nearby whitewater adventure!

 

Two Grand Openings

The Grand Opening of Ugly Plant

I have a very unusual plant, affectionately called “Ugly Plant” but in truth, a Night Blooming Cereus.

This plant has limited qualities, shall we say, as plants go. It’s loaded with prickers, gets spindly and takes over window space.  

And a little more background here.

This clipping originally came from my parents. Once a year, for one night only in the middle of summer, Ugly Plant would put on a spectacular show! On this occasion, my parents would invite family and friends to join in and watch the Grand Opening. 

So when I moved to Elderberry, I decided to continue this tradition!

Towards the end of June, my plant started to produce fuzzy nobs. Over the course of ten days, these nobs began to lengthen and develop.

Finally, one evening around 7:30 pm, the ends begin to “ripen”. 

Tonight will be the Grand Opening!

I sent out an email to the community inviting everyone to come by and watch. The late-night dog-walkers arrived with flashlights (though some people forgot and only saw the sad remains the next morning). 

My photographer friend Scottee has shot this plant for three years and has won awards with her images. On the other hand, I simply use my dependable Ipad!

At 8 pm, the interior of the blossoms start to show.

By 9 pm, the blossoms are fully open.

The Grand Opening!

The blossoms stay open throughout the night. However, by morning, they have closed and wilted. Party definitely over!

Maybe you might join us next year for our bloom-viewing event?

The Grand Opening! Introducing Sambuco,
a Fine Dining Experience in the Elderberry Hive

 

Last year our Culture Team, comprised of Mary, Vonda, Linda and Joyce, organized a community retreat and check-in to gauge how well members of our community were relating with each other. 

One of the comments received was that people wanted more opportunity to socialize around smaller and more intimate dinners. 

Also during this check-in, we presented an exercise called a spectrum, where everyone stands along an imaginary line to indicate how they might answer a particular question. We discovered most of us like to be invited to events, but are less inclined to initiate social interactions. Yes, we have a fair number of introverts!

With this feedback the Culture Team created Sambuco, Elderberry’s own version of an elegant, sit-down restaurant with limited seating, and reservation only. 

The catch? Members need to invite each other!

The Culture Team transformed the meeting area within our Common House into an elegant dining room with white table clothes, fresh flowers, soft jazz and beautifully printed menus.

Four volunteers who are fabulous cooks prepared and served a four-course dinner for three tables, with all the finishing touches you’d expect from elegant dining.

Lemon Cloud was the finishing touch for dessert, garnished with raspberries, and powdered sugar. And the final detail? Sambuco-inscribed doggie bags for the delicious leftovers!

Opening night was a huge success, with many requests for another evening at “our restaurant". Sambuco is scheduled again for October.

The Dream Team, our gourmet chefs and servers.