I have had quite a few folks ask me where we are living in North Carolina and how we found our new home so today I thought I would share just a little bit about our little piece of heaven on earth.

I honestly never thought I would live in a place like this.  Every time we drive into our “home” we both comment that it does not feel real.  Not sure why that is the case but it just seems as if we are driving into a place that is enchanted or something. The cats definitely have settled in.

When Chris realized that he really did not have to live in any particular spot (other than close to an airport) for his job we knew we wanted to end up back in North Carolina. Chris has always wanted to live in the mountains and on a lake.  A quick Zillow search found both of those qualifications in the Brevard area.  Chris contacted a realtor and the hunt was on.

Enter Connestee Falls.  I know.  I never thought I would live in a “planned gated” community.  Not that I thought I had preconceived notions but I did.  Chris wanted to make sure I was in a safe place when he travels and the gated community thing helps to ensure that and I am getting used to sending emails or calling the gate when I know someone is coming to our house. The community is billed by some as a “retirement community” but there appears to be a wide variety of residents.  One third are year round like us, one third are part time and the remaining one third are rental properties like the one we rented when we came to do our house hunting.

The community offers so much. This past weekend we went to a New Resident Breakfast where some of the over 70 clubs and groups that residents can belong to had booths and information available.  Over 70!  That deserves an exclamation mark.  Chris has already joined the fishing club and I am looking into book clubs and helping at their library in the clubhouse.  They also have a Scholarship Committee that provides thousands of dollars of scholarships to local students every year. I love that idea.  We are going to take our time and see what is a good fit before jumping into a million things because after all we still have a lot of traveling to do.

But maybe the best thing was that we met a couple of couples who are new residents as well, close to our age and interested in some of the same things we are so we are definitely looking forward to spending more time with them as well.  It is always a different experience when one moves to a new place.  I have found that it usually takes about a year before I feel grounded and rooted in the community but I have a feeling it may take less time here.

Some of the things to do here in Connestee Falls include golf, tennis, pickle ball, swimming in their lovely heated outdoor pool and hiking some of the amazing 13 miles of hiking trails that are located within the community itself.  I can not wait to get started on those and we have to make time from the unpacking and organizing to take advantage of that.  Chris has already put his new kayak on Lake Atagahi and is looking forward to fishing a lot while we live here. There is also a wonderful clubhouse where we have enjoyed our first meal overlooking the golf course.

Pretty sure I am the only one who has every photographed their meal at the clubhouse.

Couple our location with nearby Brevard which  is home to Brevard College and the Brevard Music Center and there are an amazing amount of things to do and see. We even met a couple who belong to the Brevard Philharmonic at lunch today and were invited to check that out as well.  We are just beginning to realize just what we will be able to experience as we live here.

Brevard is also home to the famous white squirrel.  Yes, white squirrels.   Apparently they originated from a carnival animal truck.  The carnival truck overturned, a couple of squirrels escaped and were caught by a man named Mr. Black who caught them in his pecan grove. They were then given to H.H. Mull who later gave them to his niece, Barbara. Apparently one eventually got loose and Mr. Mull let the other one go and that is when they started breeding in the area.  We have seen them but not been quick enough to get a picture of one but you can bet I will. You can read more about them here.

It takes awhile to get settled but we are getting there.

So there you have it.  Our new home in the North Carolina mountains is not someplace I expected to live at this time of my life but it already seems like the perfect home.  Chris quipped this past week that between the deer who casually walk through our yard all day long, the squirrels and chipmunks, the birds and hummingbirds he feels as if we are living in a Disney movie.  Pass the popcorn, please.