Happy Sunday!
Here’s a weekend waterview from Lake Norman.
Autumn is my favorite color!
The leaves have been a little less brilliant this fall due to our dry weather,
but it still gives me a thrill to see the fall foliage and its watery reflections.
According the drought monitor, we just entered the ‘severe drought’ stage.
From Duke Energy:
On Nov. 1, 2023, the Catawba-Wateree River Basin entered Stage 1 of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) due to continued dry conditions and lack of rainfall in the area. The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (DMAG), which consists of representatives from Duke Energy, large water users, and federal and state resource agencies, is closely following conditions in the basin. As these dry weather conditions continue, the community is asked to be mindful of its water use and to consider conserving energy which also saves water. Residents using water from a Duke Energy lake for landscape irrigation are asked to limit watering to Tuesdays and Saturdays. To ensure the safety of boaters and protect property, some boat ramps will close temporarily due to declining lake levels.
As we’re on a well, one of the benefits of living on the lake is lake-fed irrigation.
Our irrigation pipe has been out of the water with the low water level for over a month
and things are getting ‘crispy’.
I haven’t seen the lake this low since 2008!
Lake Norman was created for hydropower and flood control,
but also provides drinking water for four counties,
including the city of Charlotte.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an ‘El Niño Winter’, bringing some much needed rain
to the Southern US with the wet winter that’s predicted!
{ source }
Our Silver Maple tree was struck by struck by lightning two summers ago. . .
It’s been struggling and has significant die back
on a main trunk where it was hit . . .
From this angle it doesn’t look too bad, just thinning foliage
from our dry fall weather, and the time of year to shed its leaves.
This side of the tree tells the true story, the trunk is actually broken
and losing branches with every gust of wind.
The good news is the tree crew that is coming to take it down in the next couple of weeks
will have a much easier job with the low water level.
*sniff*
We had a warm few days last week with temps in the 80s
but we’re back to ‘sweater weather’ this coming week. . .
yippee!🧥🍁🍂
Steam fog in the early fall mornings is the more typical view this time of year,
when the cool air and warm water temperatures collide
and it rises from the surface of the lake.
I’ll leave with an early morning sunrise photo taken last week. . .
Hope you’re enjoying some beauti-fall weather where you are!
Happy Sunday ♥
Thank you for your visit!
What an enchanted place to live in. Truly autumn splendor abounds through out your gardens and Lake Norman. We pray you will get your much needed rainfall. Thank you for sharing a blessed fall at it’s finest.
This is our first fall in North Carolina – the Charlotte area – and I thought the leAves were brilliant! Good to know the show will only get better. Praying for rain!
Good morning Mary, I am so sorry you’re going to lose your big maple tree. It’s been such a nice shade and photo feature. I’m always sad to lose a tree. At least getting it cut now will have the advantage of the low lake level. The lake is really low and no irritation is very challenging. It’s always scary when drinking water may be limited in major cities. We’re having the same issue with the lakes here but our water source for drinking water isn’t affected. The Mississippi River barge traffic is having to navigate carefully after dredging. We’ve seen sandbars we haven’t seen in quite a few years. I think we’re all praying for rain. It’s beginning to appear in our forecast so that’s a good sign. We got a nice rain (more than just a sprinkle) Thursday evening. Enjoy your day. Clara❤️
Your photos are beautiful even though the lake is dangerously low. Leaves hit their peek here this past week and we finally got a little rain Friday and Saturday, cooler temps after the sunny 80s. Autumn is quickly passing by and I hope the weather prediction for a mild winter is true, I do not like freezing temps and the chaos of snow. Happy week before Thanksgiving Mary, stay cozy!
Jenna
I am sorry you are losing that big tree. It is painful when that happens. One of our snowballs died in late August and had to be taken down. We had a little rain on Friday and Saturday. Beautiful views and wishing you a lovely Sunday 🍁🧡🍂
Cutting down a tree that has staid the years is like losing an old friend. Despite the drought
conditions, the lake continues to be photogenic and inviting. Hoping the rains will fall soon
and in abundance.
Beautifully taken pictures, as always. You are so talented. Here in southern California, we have exited drought status for the first time in three years. I’m hoping for lots of snow and rain this winter to top up the reservoirs and increase the water level of the Colorado river.
We came out of our drought this fall after years so I can relate to your concerns. I hope el Nino fixes your drought, they are always soakers for us! Miss seeing you visit.
I hope you get the much needed rain. So sorry to hear about your damaged tree. The autumn colors are gorgeous. Some a pretty time of year. We have been getting rain and there is more to come.
Lake Norman is still beautiful, no matter what the variances in water levels and leaf color. I was surprised to read the lake provides drinking water for Charlotte. That alone seems like it could suck it dry, as that population base grows. I feel like we’ve had a really great fall this year, still enjoying some color, and only those first two days of November with a hard frost. It wouldn’t bother me at all if we had a milder winter, especially as compared to last December’s arctic blast, which is an unforgettable weather event. I hope the tree job goes without a hitch, and that you can settle into a new landscape plan that will eventually be just as pleasing.
As always your photos are beautiful. I hope you get the much needed rain. I wish we could send some of our over to you as here in the UK we have more rain than we know what to do with, flooded fields and swollen rivers everywhere. What a crazy mixed up world we live in.
Mary, I’m sad to see the lake so low. Our lake, Lake Travis, is well below level as well. I remember some years ago when it was drastically low, thinking I’d never see it full again in my lifetime. Then we had substantial rain with flooding which quickly filled the lake. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, so hopefully both our lakes will fill back up sooner rather than later.
I’m grateful for our current rain and cooler temps, though our lake needs more.
I always enjoy your lake views. Good luck with the tree removal. Sorry you lost it.
The reflection of the leaves off the water is like a double painting! I love Fall colors & weather…it’s just what weather that can follow is what I’m not fond of. Praying for your area to have the rain y’all need! Thanks for sharing your beautiful lake/home! ❤️🙏🏻🦃
Gorgeous photos, Mary. We had an extremely dry summer and were in drought for 4 months, and caught up with lots of September/October rain…now it’s dry again. Crazy, hope it improves, but the lake is still gorgeous! Sandi
Mary, I’m so sorry you are loosing your beautiful tree. They become our friends, don’t they, and it’s hard to see them go. I chose our property because of all the beautiful trees and I have to remind myself of that when it’s fall cleanup, lol. But all the work is worth their beauty.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m finally ready to snuggle in for winter. Fall cleanup done and Christmas lights hung outside and urns have their greenery. Now maybe I can be reading again on a regular basis. Beautiful water views. Thank you.