Saturday, June 29, 2013

Good-Bye Big Canoe...For Now

On Friday of our Big Canoe week we had a wonderful time renting a boat and taking an extremely quiet boat ride on Lake Petit. Actually, we didn't even have to rent the boat. Our real estate agent from Big Canoe, Ryan Moledar, arranged for us to have a boat for free for a few hours through the Big Canoe real estate office. Thanks Ryan! The boat was so quiet that I asked Chuck how we could be moving even though he hadn't started the motor yet! Big Canoe doesn't allow any gas powered boats so our boat, which is a pontoon boat, has an electric motor. I was shocked at how quiet it was. It was actually on and powering us around the lake when I said that. The peacefulness of Big Canoe was once again showcased as we wound our way slowly around the lake, admiring the houses that could just barely be seen peeking through the trees. We were able to go into small little coves and it was probably the most peaceful few hours we have had together in a very long time. The boat was so easy to drive that I even took a shot at it. There's an island in the middle of Lake Petit where people can moor a boat and go for a picnic. It was nice to dream about someday doing that in our future. We even saw a family of ducks swim by which was a real treat for a nature lover like me! Here are some scenes from our boat trip:
Captain Chuck back in action driving the boat:
Here are a few of the houses tucked in the trees along the lake...
A beautiful view amid the peace and quiet of Lake Petit
A family of ducks swam by us...
The Lake Petit Marina from the parking lot
We ate dinner that night at the Black Bear Pub again. Although we were hoping to get a seat outside, there was a band playing dance music outside and they were pretty loud from every table. We ended up inside where we could still enjoy the view and have a dinner where we could hear ourselves speaking. I think it's great that they do have entertainment at the Black Bear Pub. It would have been better to enjoy a nice glass of wine in the rocking chairs on the porch because it's off to the side a bit and not too near the speakers. I will remember that as an option if we do move here and I see musical entertainment on the schedule. Here's the view seen from the rocking chairs on the side patio of the Black Bear Pub
On Saturday, we went to Hannah's graduation (Chuck's granddaughter) and we were down in Dallas, Georgia all day and into the evening with that. This day was to be our last day totally inside the gates of Big Canoe. I found myself growing sad that we would need to leave the peacefulness and the wildlife that is such an integral part of this wonderful community. And I will miss the indoor pool so much. This year on our cruise and here at Big canoe, I have really begun to enjoy swimming as a form of aerobic exercise, while Chuck still prefers the exercise equipment. As I swam almost every day during our stay, I was imagining how wonderful it will be to have access to an indoor pool to exercise in every day. They say swimming is one of the best exercises people can do, and I am ready to start that on a daily basis. And it would be great to be able to go together and work out because the gym and indoor pool are housed in the same building.

Monday, June 24, 2013

More Adventures in the Mountains of North Georgia

I have been remiss in keeping up with this blog and for that I am sorry. The day after I wrote this we met with the real estate agent that we had toured with last year. Unfortunately, because we are a bit picky, he only had three homes to show us that were in the price range we wanted, and had all the amenities we also require ( at least a 2 car garage for Chuck and a mountain view for me, among other things.) The prices of homes in Big Canoe runs from about $200,000 for an older home, all the way up to the millions. The homes are all varied, and one can get anything from a simple log cabin to a beautiful mansion. We enjoyed our tours of the homes very much, and I found 2 I could live in quite easily. But our current house is not even on the market yet, so I guess I can't put the cart before the horse. We will be getting the house ready to get on the market soon, and hopefully, when it sells, we will have more than a few choices of houses at Big Canoe.
The day after this exciting day, we headed down south to Atlanta to visits with Chuck's children and their families. We met his daughter and her two teen aged girls and had a wonderful stroll down the quaint streets of Dallas, Georgia.
Above is a picture of Chuck, his daughter and her girls...and below is a picture of Chuck's son and 3 of his 4 children, all of whom visited us at Big Canoe on Memorial Day weekend...
My favorite shop was "Somewhere in Time", a small but stuffed to the rafters little place filled with antiques and candles. It was a great place to browse because there was an interesting find at every turn. We had lunch in a cute little restaurant run by Charlie, a jovial man who greeted us at the door! It was a very down to basics place that served breakfast or lunch which meant doubling our options of good home made food. Later we met Chuck's son at his office, received a tour, and went to lunch with him and some of his office mates who had been waiting to meet Chuck...being the NDT Icon that he is!...Someone once called him that and so I love to tease him and remind him of his unofficial title! After a late lunch it was off to see his 2 grandchildren participate in a swim meet. By the time we left it was getting dark and we came back top the condo to relax a bit before heading off to bed to prepare for another exciting day at Big Canoe!...Tomorrow is our day on the lake here at Big Canoe. We are really looking forward to getting on a boat and being out in nature.