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As one of Big Canoe’s most storied pieces of history, the building that houses the Racquet Club has been the center of community life for more than a century.

Opened in 1916 by Colonel Sam Tate as the Tate Mountain School, the structure has repeatedly been repurposed and renamed – for years it was known as the Wolfscratch School – before it became the Big Canoe’s Racquet Club in the ‘70s.

History repeats itself when the reimagined and repurposed Racquet Club celebrates its grand reopening at noon on Saturday, April 8.

The renovated building will continue serving as the nerve center for pickleball, tennis and bocce. However, the new Racquet Club will better optimize its stunning tree-accented location by offering its patio as a year-round gathering area for residents and visitors. Guests can enjoy a beverage, including coffee drinks, now available for purchase inside. The space will also be utilized for barbecues and events akin to how it was used for last year’s Oktoberfest.

Another key piece of the reimagined Racquet Club is the expansion and fundamental retooling of its retail area, which will continue to sell Big Canoe-branded pickleball and tennis gear – along with apparel by the likes of Lucky in Love and InPhorm. However, the big news is the unveiling of designated sales areas featuring hiking and trails gear, such as Sansolei hats, Camelbak hydration backpacks, and clothing by Columbia; and accessories for pet owners, with such brands as Tall Tails. The various specialized sections, which also will include a range of athleisure wear, will feature Big Canoe-branded items.

Even with its broadened retail offerings, the Racquet Club hasn’t lost sight of continuing to make pickleball the amenity’s primary focus, says Head Racquets Professional Geoff Hedges

One of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., pickleball participation has grown nationally by an average of 158.6% over the last three years, according to the Sports & Industry Association. That booming popularity is reflected in the expressed interest of Racquet Club newcomers, who almost always want to pick up the sport or transition from tennis to pickleball. Rarely do they request an introduction to tennis, Hedges says.

“Pickleball is something everyone can play,” he says. “Tennis will remain a vital part of the Racquet Club’s offerings, but we are hearing from the membership about their interest in pickleball.” Two of the hard courts for tennis are on track to be converted into six more pickleball courts, Hedges adds.

The Racquet Club still offers all kinds of services geared toward racquet sports, from professional stringing and racquet customization; to private and group lessons taught by USTPA-certified teaching professionals; and weekly pickleball clinics. Bocce courts by the Wildcat Recreation Area will continue to be reserved by contacting the Racquet Club.

Moving forward, the Racquet Club will take on the identity of the perfectly located, multi-faceted center catering to a varied range of interests.

“We are in the absolute center of Big Canoe,” Hedges says, “so the location alone and the size of our building makes it ideal for more than just a Racquet Club pro shop. This beautiful facility and outdoor space need to be shared with the entire community.”

The post Reimagined Racquet Club to Celebrate Grand Reopening As Big Canoe’s Newest Gathering Place and Shopping Destination appeared first on Inside the Gates.

By Lori Levey

The Wellness Collaborative is presenting “Are You a Worrier? You Can Change That!” a workshop designed to help those who deal with uneasiness in these times, which can often feel overwhelming.

Lori Levey

The workshop is facilitated by Lori Levey, a Big Canoe resident, retired psychotherapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and will be in the Mountains View Room at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 9.

The purpose of the workshop is to empower participants by teaching skills proven to decrease the tendency to worry about everyday events. These techniques are designed to help you take control over things you normally don’t think you have control over. Whether you call yourself a worrier or are simply interested in learning new coping tools, this class will be an eye-opener and will help you realize you have the power to improve your emotional well-being.

Consider whether any of these questions apply to you:

Do you call yourself a “worrier?”
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about what may or may not happen in the future or do you focus on the past?
What goes through your mind if you text a loved one and you don’t get an immediate response?
Is the word “should” a large part of your self-talk?
Is “what if” a phrase you use frequently?
If someone close to you does or says something that upsets you, do you address the issue directly about it or do you avoid the confrontation? Do you have trouble standing up for yourself?
Do you have trouble setting boundaries? Do you have trouble saying no and end up doing something you don’t want to, which leads to you feeling regretful/resentful? What do you fear will happen if you say no? Are you a people-pleaser?
Do you have trouble making decisions? Do you sometimes make them based less on the reality of the situation and more on what you think might happen or on what someone else thinks? Do you tend to second-guess yourself?
Do you spend a lot of time wishing things were different?
Do you take care of yourself before taking care of others, or do you consider that being selfish?
Do you think your perspective is typically realistic? Or do you:
• Make assumptions
• Look at things from an either/or, black/white, all-or-nothing perspective
• Blow things out of proportion
Do you tend to take on the emotions of others as if they were yours?

These questions and others will be addressed in the workshop, which will be in an informal, interactive setting. Worrying is something we all do from time to time; however, by practicing simple-to-learn strategies based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we don’t have to become overwhelmed!

To register, write to info@bcwell.org. For more information on the “Are You a Worrier? You Can Change That!” workshop, write to Lori Levey at lclevey1@gmail.com.

The post Are You a Worrier? You Can Change That! appeared first on Inside the Gates.

The Wildflower Bunch hosted its first guest speaker and well-known resident gardening expert Cynthia Hendry, who entertained a standing-room-only crowd on March 1. Cynthia has 36 years of experience gardening in Big Canoe and writes the monthly Smoke Signals Mountain Gardening column. She is an advocate for naturalistic design, the use of native plants, and a sustainable, low-maintenance garden.

Her design work has included two show homes for the Georgian Highlands, Big Canoe’s Southern Living Show Home, three designs for the Street of Dreams at Big Canoe and the Atlanta Magazine Show Home at Big Canoe.  One of her designs won the best of show award for the Street of Dreams.

Cynthia’s opening remarks began with advice on how to access our plants’ health after the December frigid temperatures this year. Before pruning any bushes or trees she recommended waiting for secondary buds to swell and only shaping and pruning when buds break. She continued by highlighting a plant list of evergreens that are Zone 5 tolerant including hemlocks, cedars, magnolia virginiana, Norway spruce, oriental spruce, white pine, American holly and maybe cryptomeria. She stated that “if this year’s freeze damage makes you concerned about future planting, consider adding hardscapes as focal points, which are low maintenance and deer resistant.” In addition, her go-to liquid concentrate treatment for healthy plants is “Superthrive, the original vitamin solution” that includes kelp.

She continued with a suggestion to “know your stress level” and tolerance for the seasons and our local animals who enjoy the fruits of our labors. There are many deer-repellent sprays and gadgets as well as fencing structures that can be installed to protect against unwelcome visitors. Plants that are deer resistant included: Leucothoe fontanesiana, or nana; burning love, pieris Japonica variegate, dwarf anise, mountain laurel, kaleidoscope, cepholataxus, mountain mint, zizia & Solomon’s seal.

She noted, that one absolute purchase you can’t pass up if you can find it is native bloodroot. And if you see a stone with a “bird bath” built-in, buy it. Cynthia recommends adding variegated plants to enhance your garden and suggests placing plants that are lime green for added contrast. If you want a flowering perennial garden for all seasons, she encourages a plan in advance to create a structured garden with evergreens at the front and back of borders. They use perennials with an evergreen presence as much as possible like yarrow, chrysanthemums and daisies. She added that “it’s best to put flower color” mid-border like karmini, bikova, rain lily and ajuga.

Cynthia joked that you might want to have a private retreat, “one space where no one will see you in your bikini,” like a sunken garden spot. She suggests that “a big open sunny septic field space is perfect for low maintenance woody natives that grow up to eight feet and eventually cover the ground.” Be flexible and experiment with all kinds of bulbs including crocus and lilies. She also believes that every great window deserves a great view and her final advice was to “always share ‘one of a kind’ plants with a friend.”

Mark your calendar for the next event on April 5 at 10 a.m. at the Clubhouse when we welcome Julie Garrity of Hello Daisy Flower Farm in Canton, who will speak about how to grow a cutting garden. You can also begin following Julie on Instagram and Facebook.

We would like to remind everyone about the highly anticipated Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, April 15 at the Wildcat Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale serves as a fundraiser for the WFB with ten percent of all proceeds going toward club projects and initiatives that benefit Big Canoe programs.

Vendors available at the Annual Plant Sale include :

Green Trade – a Jasper wholesale nursery providing a variety of favorite trees, shrubs and perennials.

Whispering Springs Nursery – a family-owned retail garden center off of Cove Road offering landscape design and installation services showcasing premium annuals, perennials and native shrubs as well as container gardens.

Willow Gate Gardens – Big Canoe resident Laura McDonald will highlight indoor flowering and foliage plants, orchids and bromeliads.

Del Vecchio Nursery – a new vendor from Cumming, specializing in a nice selection of Japanese maple trees including various varieties and sizes.

Bird Houses by David Call – a Big Canoe resident, will feature handmade birdhouses.

Fern Ridge Farms – a small specialty nursery in northeast Alabama. Owner Eleanor Craig a long-time vendor offers a selection of amazing ferns.

On May 3, Don Wells will be speaking at 10 a.m. at the Beach Club about Indian Trail Trees when he explains “what and where they are” in Big Canoe. Then on June 7 at 10 a.m. at the Wildcat Pavilion, the WFB will host a picnic with select menu items from Mary’s Bread Basket and all attendees are encouraged to bring a favorite plant to swap with fellow gardeners.

June 24 will be the well-attended Garden Tour in honor and memory of Cheryl Jones. Homeowner gardens will be announced soon and the event will be from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Four sites will be available for the tour including a structured garden, a native garden, and two container gardens. Tickets are $15 per person and proceeds will benefit beautification projects around Big Canoe. Captains and volunteers are needed and we encourage everyone to reach out to Liz Littleton to help at Littleton.elizabeth@gmail.com.

A new member reception is scheduled for July 20 with details to come. Later this summer on August 2 at 10 a.m. at the Clubhouse, Mark Warren, author of “Edible Wild Plants of Southern Appalachia,” will be discussing his book, which will be available for sale after the event. Other exciting events are in the works for the remainder of the year, so stay tuned for further announcements.

The Big Canoe Wildflower Bunch is an active club of gardening enthusiasts who meet monthly to enjoy knowledgeable experts speaking on a full range of gardening-related topics. In addition, the WFB, hosts and spearheads many special events, projects, luncheons and field trips to sites and businesses that center around gardening throughout the year.

The WFB club’s primary objectives include:

Preserving and protecting the integrity of our natural mountain environment and its native flora
Providing educative programs and experiences
Promoting the conservation of our natural resources
Enhancing the beauty of our community
Providing philanthropic gifts to Big Canoe and the area

Funds raised from the Annual Plant Sale and Garden Tour are donated to Big Canoe for beautification projects in our community.

Membership information can be found on our website https://wildflowerbunch.com/membership. The cost for membership per year is $20 and is open to any Big Canoe resident throughout the year.

COME GROW WITH US and visit our website, https://wildflowerbunch.com/ or Facebook page for real-time updates and future events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post The Big Canoe Wildflower Bunch 2023 Season Kicked Off in March appeared first on Inside the Gates.

The BCWGA enjoyed a potluck luncheon in March to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the newly established Big Canoe Women’s Golf Association. Happy birthday again to Pam DePetro and many thanks to Carolynn Witt for the delicious desserts! We encourage and welcome new members all year long to come out and play with us, so hurry and join our group this month as we begin another year of golf. The full

membership fee is $70 and a Social membership is $35 that includes Wednesday afternoon Social Play once a month alternating between ascramble and play your own ball. The Wednesday play provides an opportunity for members to gather on the Veranda following golf to socialize and have “fun.”

Also in March, The BCWGA and the Learning Ladies had a fun Meet and Greet at the Beach Club hosted by Joan Delk, one of Big Canoe’s professional golf instructors. At that get-together, we welcomed the new liaisons for the learning ladies and our group, Carol Corbitt and Pam DePetro.

Opening Day and the General Membership Meeting will be at 9 a.m. on April 3 followed by a special salute in memory of Cheryl Jones at 9:30 a.m. All Big Canoe women golfers are welcome to this salute in Chery’s honor.

Anyone who is interested in signing up to be a Big or Little Sister to help mentor or be mentored, please email Carolyn Witt, at carolynwittcw@gmail.com, in order to be paired with the same person the first, second and third play days of this month. As a reminder, when signing up for play days, please respond with your choice of playing 9 or 18 holes.

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming April events:

April 10 – Play Day #1

April 17 – Play Day #2

April 24 – Play Day #3

April 26 – Afternoon Social Play Day/Scramble

The BCWGA looks forward to another exciting new year of golf while socializing with old and new friends in our outstanding Big Canoe community.

The BCWGA is a golfing organization with a 40+ year history. The group is open to any woman, aged 21 and over, who is either a property owner or a golf amenity member in good standing at Big Canoe. Members are afforded the opportunity to play nine or eighteen holes of golf in a relaxed atmosphere while having fun and simultaneously working to improve their skill set and handicap. The establishment of a USGA handicap is required of all members.

Activities and events are designed to promote a better understanding of the rules of golf and to improve pace of play. Members work together to boost confidence on the course and encourage socialization with other women of similar skills. Integrity, respect for each other as well as the game of golf, and a firm sense of fellowship are key principles of the BCWGA.

We would also like to invite anyone interested in taking advantage of the best value to learn how to play golf at Big Canoe by signing up for Learning Ladies lessons with Joan Delk, one of Big Canoe’s professional golf instructors.

Ladies of all levels of play are welcome to share the spirit and warmth that exemplifies BCWGA – “Ladies who just want to have fun playing golf.” For up to date information, please visit our website regularly, https://bcgc-bcwga.golfgenius.com.

New members are always welcome, no matter their skill level. The contacts for the group are Carolyn Witt (carolyn.witt.cw@gmail.com), BCWGA President, Elise McBryde (elisemcbryde@gmail.com), BCWGA Vice President and Christine Flaherty (christine.flaherty21@gmail.com), BCWGA Treasurer.

 

 

The post BCWGA Celebrates One-Year Anniversary appeared first on Inside the Gates.

As has been widely discussed around Big Canoe, the Covered Bridge on Wilderness Parkway was struck by a vehicle on Tuesday, March 7.

Most importantly, no one was seriously injured. “Tire failure” was listed as the cause of the accident, according to the motor vehicle crash report filed by the Pickens County Sheriff’s office.

However, the collision forced the closure of the Covered Bridge and Wilderness Parkway.

The POA is working to address the closure as quickly as possible – and doing so with an abundance of caution. There is no “quick fix” for the bridge to be properly repaired and Wilderness Parkway to be reopened.

However, the POA is doing everything possible to promptly resolve the situation. Among the most recent updates around the closure:

The bridge is not in danger of collapsing, but the POA’s engineer noted that the bridge’s center support column has been compromised and must be repaired. Until that work is completed, the bridge cannot be reopened.
The POA’s engineer has also determined that the damaged sidewall of the bridge will have to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. That part of the bridge was strictly aesthetic and not a part of its structural support, says Lydell Mack, Director of Operations.
The accident was a random event that had nothing to do with the work that had been completed on Monday.
The repair will require the construction of a temporary, external platform – with a debris-catching surface – that will create a scaffold-like structure, which will allow work to be conducted below and along the bridge.
A report and repair cost estimate was shared with the insurance company on Thursday, March 9.
Public Works teams are continuing their work nearby on Wilderness Parkway, which includes installing a guardrail and reflectors and painting new lines on the roadway.
The recent work on the bridge raised the roof by two-and-half feet, with the project coordinated and supervised by our engineer. That portion of the project was designed to address the chronic problem of larger vehicles striking the roof of the bridge, which has forced its closure for repairs. The Tuesday collision blew out the northern side wall of the bridge, which was not part of the recent repair project.

The POA will provide updates as our staff works to resolve the situation as safely and quickly as possible.

The post Update on the Closure of the Covered Bridge appeared first on Inside the Gates.

By Lydell Mack

POA Director of Operations

The arctic Christmas that Big Canoe recently experienced taught us many things, not the least of which is how much Amicalola Electric Membership Corporation has been stepping up in Big Canoe.

During that frosty snap, the utility’s crews were a constant, reassuring presence in Big Canoe, working to restore power for hundreds of Property Owners whose homes had gone dark just as many were hosting out-of-town relatives.

Amicalola and the Big Canoe POA management recently met to highlight how the utility is addressing issues while working to ensure our community is better positioned moving forward. Below are some of the topics around electricity in Big Canoe that were addressed at the meeting.

Q: What is Amicalola doing to improve its service in Big Canoe?

A: The utility is in the middle of an eight-year improvement project to the electrical system in Big Canoe, spending an average of $2 million annually. Amicalola is upgrading service within Big Canoe from the 7,200-volt cable that was the standard when it was installed in the ’70s to the modern-day 14,400-volt cable. The improvement, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed within four years, will reduce the likelihood of outages. Amicalola is also installing automatic switches that reduce the time needed to restore power after an outage.

Q: How can the automatic switches make a difference?

A: Switches allow Amicalola to feed power to Big Canoe from a different source as needed – electricity to Big Canoe is currently provided by six feeds into the community. The upgrades to the switches will enable Amicalola to more readily switch from one power feed to another, which will help reduce the possibility of a power outage.

Q: Why is the project taking a total of eight years?

A: When Big Canoe was created, its ecologically focused founders were committed to ensuring that the community remain environmentally compatible with its natural surroundings. Underground power lines rather than unsightly overhead lines were used. While that move maintained Big Canoe’s legendary vistas, it also made accessing the power line – placed under the paved streets rather than along the roadway shoulders – much more difficult and time-consuming.

Q: How does Amicalola’s relationship differ from that of Utilities Inc of Georgia, which provides water to Big Canoe?

A: UIG specifically serves Big Canoe and has an office on the property. Amicalola has a service area that covers 1,100 miles in Dawson and Pickens along with portions of Bartow, Cherokee, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Lumpkin and Murray counties. Amicalola is owned by the members it serves.

Q: Where can I learn about a power outage in Big Canoe?

A: The most accurate information Amicalola releases regarding power outages is on their website at www.amicalolaemc.com through the use of the Outage Viewer. This tool shows outages taking place in real-time, if a crew has been assigned, the number of members affected, and other stats.

Q: Why do we typically see outages in Big Canoe?

A: While it’s tempting to point the finger at, say, the increased stress on the grid caused by homes cranking up their air conditioning or their heat, the most common culprit behind power outages is lightning. Because Big Canoe has such rocky soil, lighting can affect underground powerlines. Exacerbating the situation is that decaying trees that were buried can produce an acid that can break down the casing meant to protect the old power lines originally installed a half-century ago. The new power lines currently being installed are encased in a thicker, more durable sheath that’s less prone to damage from lightning strikes.

Q: What is Amicalola doing to make its work less disruptive to the Property Owners in Big Canoe?

A: Amicalola is scheduled to start work on Sanderlin Mountain Drive in April as part of a project where UIG will simultaneously install new waterlines. The combined efforts by the two utilities to complete their work at the same time – rather than having to rip up the road twice – will create a less disruptive solution and reduce the duration time of the project.

Q: When there’s work on power lines in Big Canoe, why does there always seem to be a big white Pike electric truck parked nearby?

A: They are here on behalf of Amicalola to stay on track with the upgrades. The community-wide project is about 60 percent completed.

Q: If I report a loss of power, why might my situation not be addressed immediately?

A: If there is a major storm or disaster, crews will come to address a loss of power. However, those same crews can be diverted for something more pressing, such as a downed overhead powerline. Much like Big Canoe’s Public Works crews get pulled in different directions and have their tasks re-prioritized if there is a storm or emergency, Amicalola crews are sometimes also forced to adjust their schedules.

The post What to Know About Amicalola Upgrades in Big Canoe appeared first on Inside the Gates.

The project to upgrade Wilderness Parkway and raise the roof of the iconic Covered Bridge has progressed to the point where traffic can now drive Big Canoe’s busiest road. As a result, Wilderness Parkway is open – nearly two weeks ahead of schedule.

In the coming weeks, crews will finalize the roadway portion of the project by

installing reflectors to the asphalt
painting lines
installing a guardrail – the vertical yellow cylinders along the edge of the road mark its future location.

The other major piece of the project was the raising of the Covered Bridge roof by two additional feet from its original 11-foot 6-inch height. The new, pressure-treated lumber used in the project will be painted late this spring after the wood cures.

The work on the road addressed the cracking asphalt on Wilderness that led to the street sinking. To fortify Wilderness Parkway, crews installed a geosynthetically reinforced wall system that established a new roadway foundation and a more stable, erosion-resistant facing for the embankment.

The maintenance of the bridge was in response to its roof being hit repeatedly by large vehicles. All trucks except for those traveling to the Blackwell Creek neighborhood are still required to enter only through the North Gate.

The post Wilderness Parkway and Covered Bridge Are Open appeared first on Inside the Gates.

The BCWGA is excited to announce the upcoming Play Days and events for 2023. As the official 2023 season begins, please consider joining one of the “funnest” ladies golf groups at Big Canoe. We welcome new members all year long to come out and play with us, so hurry and join our group this month so you don’t miss out on any of the fun!

In addition to our regular play days and events, the BCWGA has added a new offering for 2023 – Wednesday afternoon Social Play; per month which will alternate between a scramble and playing your own ball. The Wednesday play will provide an opportunity for members to gather on the Veranda following golf to socialize, share a beverage (or dinner) and have “fun”; The Social Committee will also be scheduling a couple of organized Nine/Wine/Dines on Wednesdays and another local Play Away Day as well as an Overnight Stay event.

Mark your calendars with the following official calendar of events for the 2023 season:

March 6 – Potluck Social (BCWGA 1st Birthday Party at the Beach Club)
March 14 – Pre-Season Get-Together (BCWGA & Learning Ladies Introduction with Joan Delk at the Beach Club)
April 2 – Opening Day Pairings at the Lodge
April 3 – Opening Day & General Membership Meeting (Special salute to Cheryl Jones)
April 10 – Play Day #1
April 17 – Play Day #2
April 24 – Play Day #3
April 26 – Afternoon Social Play Day/Scramble
May 1 – Play Day #4
May 8 – Sadie Hawkins Tournament
May 15 – Ringer Tournament – Week 1
May 22 – Ringer Tournament – Week 2
May 24- Afternoon Social Play/Own Ball
May 25 – Play Away #1 at Crystal Falls
May 31 – Mystery Tournament
June 5 – Play Day #5
June 12 – Play Day #6
June 19 – Play Day #7
June 26 – Play Day #8
June 28 – Scramble with Bent Tree
July 3 – Play Day #9
July 10 – Play Day #10
July 17 – Play Day #11
July 24 – Aces & Graces Scramble
July 26 – Afternoon Social Play/Scramble
July 31- Play Day #12
August 1 – Scramble #1 with Learning Ladies
August 7 – Play Day #13
August 14 – Play Day #14
August 21 – Play Day #15
August 23 – Afternoon Social Play/Own Ball
August 28 – Play Day #16
September 11 – Play Day #17
September 12 – Scramble #2 Learning Ladies
September 13 – BCWGA Championship
September 25 – Play Day #18
September 27 – Afternoon Social Play/Scramble
October 2 – Play Day #19
October 9 – Play Day #20
October 16 – Play Day #21
October 18 – Charity Event Benefitting Habitat for Humanity
October 23 – Play Day #22
October 25 – Afternoon Social Play/Own Ball
October 30 – Closing Day & General Membership Meeting
The BCWGA looks forward to another exciting new year of golf while socializing with old and new friends in our
outstanding Big Canoe community.

The BCWGA is a golfing organization with a 40+ year history. The group is open to any woman, aged 21 and over, who is either a property owner or a golf amenity member in good standing at Big Canoe. Members are afforded the opportunity to play nine or eighteen holes of golf in a relaxed atmosphere while having fun and simultaneously working to improve their skill set and handicap. The establishment of a USGA handicap is required of all members.

Activities and events are designed to promote a better understanding of the rules of golf and to improve the pace of play. Members work together to boost confidence on the course and encourage socialization with other women of similar skills. Integrity, respect for each other as well as the game of golf, and a firm sense of fellowship are key principles of the BCWGA.

We would also like to invite anyone interested in taking advantage of the best value to learn how to play golf at Big Canoe by signing up for Learning Ladies lessons with Joan Delk, one of Big Canoe’s professional golf instructors. Ladies of all levels of play are welcome to share the spirit and warmth that exemplifies BCWGA – “Ladies who just want to have fun playing golf.” For up-to-date information, please visit our website regularly, https://bcgc-bcwga.golfgenius.com.

New members are always welcome, no matter their skill level. The contacts for the group are Carolyn Witt
(carolyn.witt.cw@gmail.com), BCWGA President; Elise McBryde (elisemcbryde@gmail.com), BCWGA Vice
President; and Christine Flaherty (christine.flaherty21@gmail.com), BCWGA Treasurer.

The post BCWGA Announces 2023 Calendar of Events appeared first on Inside the Gates.

The Wildflower Bunch kicks off its 2023 season on March 1 at the clubhouse at 10 a.m. with their first guest
speaker and well-known resident gardening expert, Cynthia Hendry, who will be sharing her 36 years of experience
gardening in Big Canoe. She writes the monthly Smoke Signals Mountain Gardening column and is an
advocate for naturalistic design, the use of native plants, and a sustainable, low-maintenance garden.
Her design work has included two show homes for the Georgian Highlands, Big Canoe’s Southern Living
Show Home, three designs for the Street of Dreams at Big Canoe and the Atlanta Magazine Show Home at
Big Canoe.  One of her designs won the best of show award for the Street of Dreams.

All WFB members are welcome to this opening event and we encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a
member to join in March.

Future confirmed events include the highly anticipated one-day-only Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, April 15 at
the Wildcat Pavilion from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. The sale serves as a fundraiser for the WFB with ten percent of all
proceeds going toward club projects and initiatives that benefit Big Canoe programs. Vendors include businesses
from around the local area including the following:

Green Trade – a Jasper wholesale nursery providing a variety of favorite trees, shrubs and perennials.
Whispering Springs Nursery – a family-owned retail garden center off of Cove Road, offering landscape design and
installation services showcasing premium annuals, perennials and native shrubs as well as container gardens.
Willow Gate Gardens – a Big Canoe resident Laura McDonald will highlight indoor flowering and foliage plants,
orchids and bromeliads.
Del Vecchio Nursery – a new vendor from Cumming, specializing in a nice selection of Japanese Maple trees
including various varieties and sizes.
Bird Houses by David Call – a Big Canoe resident, will feature handmade birdhouses.
Fern Ridge Farms – a small specialty nursery in northeast Alabama. Owner Eleanor Craig a long-time vendor offers
a selection of amazing ferns.
Later this summer on Aug. 2, Mark Warren, author of Edible Wild Plants of Southern Appalachia will be
discussing his book which will be available for sale after the event.
The exceptional Big Canoe Garden tour is currently being planned and details will be announced soon as
well as other upcoming speakers and events as they are finalized.
The Big Canoe Wildflower Bunch is an active club of gardening enthusiasts who meet monthly to enjoy
knowledgeable experts speaking on a full range of gardening-related topics. In addition, the WFB, hosts and
spearheads many special events, projects, luncheons and field trips to sites and businesses that center
around gardening throughout the year.

The WFB club’s primary objectives include:

Preserving and protecting the integrity of our natural mountain environment and its native flora
Providing educative programs and experiences
Promoting the conservation of our natural resources
Enhancing the beauty of our community
Providing philanthropic gifts to Big Canoe and the area

Funds raised from the Annual Plant Sale and Garden Tour are donated to Big Canoe for beautification projects in
our community. Membership information can be found on our website
https://wildflowerbunch.com/membership. The cost for membership per year is $20 and is open to any Big Canoe
resident throughout the year.

COME GROW WITH US and visit our website, https://wildflowerbunch.com/ or Facebook page for real time
updates and future events.

The post The Big Canoe Wildflower Bunch 2023 Events Begin March 1 appeared first on Inside the Gates.

(A version of this story originally appeared in Smoke Signals)

By Elizabeth Devereux

Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier.

~ Dorthea Brande

What if you could have less stress and more living through the practice of mindfulness?

Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose and without judgment, in the present moment. Mindfulness allows us to move from one moment to the next with a sense of calm and mental clarity. Would your life be different if your experiences, from the mundane to the momentous, became opportunities to be more fully engaged, be more fully you?

Just like you train your body, mindfulness trains the brain. Practicing being purposely more aware changes your brain over time, a phenomenon science calls neuroplasticity. Studies show people who practice being more conscious have a greater sense of happiness, well-being and relaxation, while people who don’t, have more activity in the part of the brain associated with feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.

The great news is ongoing, enhanced awareness is portable; no meditation cushion or fancy techniques are required. For the more technologically inclined, though, there is the Mindfulness Bell App that rings periodically during the day to give you a chance to pause and notice what you’re currently doing and what state of mind you’re in while doing it.

In a mindfulness practice, we learn to ground our physical senses in real time, paying attention to body, breath, sight, sound, touch and taste and noticing what we can about what’s happening when it’s happening. Simple, though not easy, mindfulness is amazingly rewarding work—most likely why it’s becoming more and more mainstream.

It is interesting to consider the notion that how we do anything is how we do everything. Everyday “mindless” tasks can become ways to practice being more fully engaged: commuting to work; waiting in line or on hold; brushing teeth; chewing; doing the dishes.

What if a traffic jam, instead of being endured, became the perfect circumstance to notice how resistant and reactive thinking becomes chronically lodged as tension in the body and negatively colors your mood and perceptions? After practicing mindfulness exercises for several weeks, a student recently described bending down to tie her shoe and realizing, at that moment, how she moves through many motions of her day in a sort of “auto-pilot” mode.

Try a mindfulness experiment every day for a few weeks, and see if it doesn’t add to your life: Choose a mundane chore you do every day or alternate tasks, practicing awareness with several. For instance, when doing the dishes, feel the warmth of the water on your skin, see the craftsmanship of the dishes, hear the sounds of the bubbles and clinking of the silver, savor the lingering taste of the meal in your mouth, etc.

Whichever activity you choose, notice, without judgment, how many times your mind wanders away from observing all you can about the “textures” of your task, and gently draw your attention back, again and again—just like training a puppy, gently but firmly.

When we regularly train our attention to make the details of a task or activity the foreground, we can begin more easily to notice the habitual, discursive fluctuations of the mind in the background, “monkey mind” as it’s called in the biz. You might even begin to draw correlations with how mind states affect body states and moods and vice versa. Broadening your awareness, you might notice how that interplay influences your overall health, your relationships, the general enjoyment of your life, your spirit day to day.

Being mindful is a way of traveling, not a destination. Focusing on what actually IS in the present moment, without judgment, makes that moment come alive, infuses it with more nuanced, sacred, connected, naturally more informed beingness. String your present moments together with this expanded perspective approach, and you just may end up feeling like you’re having a richer, more openhearted, fully lived life.

Many people find it easier to meditate in a group with a guide, consider the eight-class Mindfulness Meditation series for experienced practitioners who like guidance and the support of a group; or for beginners curious about the benefits of meditation. On Tuesdays, at 4:15 p.m. March 7 – April 25 at the Wellness Center, with the option of participating via Zoom. Cost: $80 or $15 per class for drop-ins. Questions or registration: Elizabeth at (706) 579-0414 or peaceonearthinc@gmail.com.

Elizabeth Devereux’s work is a vibrant, transformative fusion of tools and processes for greater health, joy and possibility. She is well-known for her open-heartedness and keen ability to distill, synthesize and communicate ancient wisdoms and modern consciousness paradigms in a fun, relatable, effective way. Find out more at PeaceOnEarthINC.com.

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