Welcome to The Heritage Ridge Villas ​​​at Mountain Air
  • Home
  • About
  • Location
  • The Villas
    • Exteriors
    • Interiors
    • Floor Plans and Design
  • Amenities
  • Links
  • Real Estate
  • HRV Blog
  • Gallery
  • Hiking Trails

The Ascent At Mountain Air: 5 K Race to the Top

10/16/2019

0 Comments

 
There are always fun activities at Mountain Air.  Last Saturday, runners and walkers made the 5 K climb from the gate to the top of the mountain.  The 5 K race is open to all who are interested and happens every fall, in the midst of the beautiful leaf season.  Part of the ascent comes right up through our Heritage Ridge Park and neighborhood, and we get to cheer everyone on, or maybe join in the race.
0 Comments

The Flowers Keep Blooming At The Heritage Ridge Villas

10/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The HRV board, under the guidance of Carol, has had all of our flower beds enhanced with beautiful new flowers this year.  We have not yet had a frost, and so the flowers keep on blooming.  Our resident photographer, Louise, writes:

“For Presence
Awaken to the mystery of being here
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
. . .
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek
no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven
around the heart of wonder.”

~ John O'Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us)

#PurpleConeFlowers or #Echinacea are still blooming in the mountains of NC. I have been nurturing them in the gardens outside my condo, along with the help of Carol and a few others. They are a little beaten up at the end of the season, so I hand painted in the petals a bit in Photoshop, to give them a more painterly and less pocked appearance. I also love the imperfections and quirks, especially in end of the season flowers. But this time I decided to go with the hand painted version.
​
The colors are also sometimes a bit more faded at the end of the season, but I think that has its own beauty too. Each day, as I leave to walk my dogs in the morning, or to go off on errands or a hike, I am so happy to be greeted by these flowers.

0 Comments

Heritage Ridge Villas' Rare American Chestnuts To Become Stars!!

10/28/2017

0 Comments

 
A few large American Chestnuts which fruit every year are growing right outside the E building of the Heritage Ridge Villas. Jan took some of the fruit and twigs with leaves to the American Chestnut Foundation in nearby Asheville. Ben Jarrett, the science coordinator, wants to come next fall and collect some of the fruit from our very rare Chestnuts, to help with their breeding program, designed to bring back now extinct American Chestnuts into our forests.

Giant Chestnuts used to cover the western North Carolina forests, but by 1950 had succumbed to blight, a fungal disease. They became extinct. The dead trees were attacked by insects and removed, drastically changing our forest environment and climate. The wood from these dead trees, called wormy chestnut, is prized and rare today and still used for decorative purposes.

The American Chestnut Foundation is trying to bring these trees back. By finding the few rare trees that still grow today, and breeding and selecting for the most resilient, they may succeed in bringing the trees back from extinction. The blight is here to stay, but some rare, remaining surviving trees may help repopulate our forests. Our Heritage Ridge Villas' trees are among these stars survivors.

See the pictures and videos below for more information and a view of "our" Chestnut trees.


Picture
The giant Chestnut tree, which populated our forests, until a blight caused it to go extinct.
The trunk, and the root sprouts, of one of our Chestnuts.  View looking up.
​
Video showing location of HRV chestnuts, and a view of the hull of the fruit and the trees.  Stoney Falls condos are on the left and the Heritage Ridge Villas E building  and the 18th tee box are on the right (but not visible through the trees).
​
Another view of the Heritage Ridge Villas' chestnuts, with E building on the upper left, and Stoney Falls condos on the lower right, driving toward Mountain Air Drive.
0 Comments

Rocky Fork State Park Offers Amazing Hiking Trails

10/23/2017

0 Comments

 
Two of our Heritage Ridge Villas residents have enjoyed wonderful hikes at nearby Rocky Fork State Park in Tennessee.  It is about a 30 minute drive from our villas, mostly on 4 lane highway.  Louise contributed the videos below.
Rocky Fork Park
We walked along a gentle path, with the above river gently flowing along the path.  A beautiful, peaceful and easy walk, with many places to pause and sit along the river.  A great place to bring a picnic.

There also are many harder trails and waterfalls in the park.

The park literature says: "The park is predominately Appalachian cove forest, one of the most biologically diverse habitats in North America. The well drained, loamy soil supports the growth of a variety of hardwoods and evergreens. Oak, hickory, beech, pine, hemlock, and rhododendron are just a few of the species found here. The diversity of tree species has historically made the area a desirable timber ground. The park and the surrounding Cherokee National Forest offers miles of old, unmarked logging roads.

Native wildflowers find ideal growing conditions and include Pink Lady’s Slipper and Yellow Fringed Orchid and Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid, and several native lilies, including Turk’s Cap and Michaux’s Lily. Diverse and varied fungi thrive in Rocky Fork’s cool, damp climate.

​. . . 
The park contains a noted cultural site at the junction of Flint Creek and Rocky Fork. This location was the winter encampment of Creek and Cherokee Indians in the late 1700s when Colonel (later Governor) John Sevier and his troops surrounded the encampment and mounted a surprise attack in response to long standing tension between the two groups. The Creek and Cherokee sustained heavy fatalities and casualties during the conflict."
0 Comments

Video of Fall Color in the Blue Ridge

10/20/2016

0 Comments

 
Spectacular fall color all over the Blue Ridge Mountains makes sitting on the Heritage Ridge Villas' back porches a special experience.  If the video below, taken from the back porch, is slow to load, you can also watch it on Youtube.
Video © 2016 Louise Lindsay  The music in this video is creative commons music, called Farewell Flight, by Gregoire Lourme.  
0 Comments

The Joy Of Children At Mountain Air

10/16/2016

0 Comments

 
Our three girls looking out from the top of the mountain, outside O and W's restaurant.  Sallie
Picture
0 Comments

Fall Color and Fall Wildflowers

10/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Fall color is beautiful right now.  Of course, in the mountains of western North Carolina, there is no real peak.  It is so bio-diverse here that fall color goes on and on for weeks, painted every day with different colors.  But this moment is beautiful and will be for the next few weeks.  Right now, there is still much green in the landscape, but also the fall colors that create a beautiful patchwork quilt are popping out everywhere.  Cloud inversions are kissing the mountain most mornings.  Fall wildflowers are blooming- purple asters and bottle gentian are especially plentiful.  More detailed fall color reports can be found here and here.  A taste of the mountain around the Heritage Ridge Villas follows.  Louise
Picture
Sunrise inversion, in the west, from the front porch of Heritage Ridge Villas
Picture
Sunrise inversion in the east, over the Black Mountains, from the back porch
Picture
Sunrise inversion in the east, over the Black Mountains, from the back porch
Picture
Fall decorations outside of the clubhouse, Slickrock Village
Picture
Ancient maple tree, Jump Off Trail, Timber sky hiking
Picture
Maple tree outside Heritage Ridge Villas
Picture
Bottle Gentian is blooming on the trail going down from Heritage Ridge Park, and on the gentle trail at the top of the mountain from Timber Sky
 Images © 2016 Louise Lindsay
0 Comments

A Different View of Fall Colors

10/6/2016

0 Comments

 
​Debbie contributed this lovely “find”.  Fall colors are popping on the trees and mountainsides, and even at the small macro level.  The weather has been glorious.  It was been cool, yet warm for the season, with blue skies.
Picture
​We do keep all of our Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coastal residents in our thoughts and hope that the hurricane moves off shore.  There are a couple Florida residents, who are here, who are very happy that they have a second home in Mountain Air.  At least they know that they are safe, even if they still have property to worry about.
0 Comments

Art Hop and Spruce Pine Potters' Market: 10/8-9

10/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Many residents have enjoyed a visit to Rob Levin’s studio, and have enjoyed prior studio tours on the Hwy. 80 S. Art Hop. Rob Levin is a world class glass artist in nearby Celo, NC. http://www.robertlevin.com/

From Rob Levin comes this message, sent out to those on his email list:
 “If you're in the mountains next weekend, here's a quick reminder that the Hwy. 80 South Art Hop will be Saturday & Sunday, October 8 & 9, from 10 - 5.   A number of studios on or near Rte 80, south of Micaville, will be opening our doors to visitors, including 4 of the 5 glass studios in our valley.  With the tour involving a relatively small area, it should be a relaxed, easy to navigate studio tour.  Studios will be marked with Art Hop signs; maps and info can be picked up at the One of a Kind Gallery in Micaville.  Here's a link for more info:  http://www.80arthop.com/

Also on tap next weekend -- the Spruce Pine Potters Market and fall colors at higher elevations!

AND: Mark your calendars for the annual TRAC Holiday Studio Tour, coming up December 2,3 &4.  You'll be pleased to know my daughter Hannah will be joining me in my studio to exhibit her pottery.  More info to follow next month.
Hoping you are having a happy and artistic Fall,
Rob”
Picture
1    One of a Kind Art Gallery               
2     Garold Amsberry                
3       Lynda Gayle Banner               
Bridget Fox               
  4    Rolf Holmquist               
5     Sarah House                
6      Loretta Forde & David Wilson               
  7     Kat Turczyn               
Jane Willig               
Matt Willig               
  8    Rob Levin               
   9  Kim & Pete McWhirter               
10     Mountain Farm              
 11    Toe River Crafts               
 12     Katie & Billy Bernstein               
​

"The Spruce Pine Potters Market is a unique gathering of our region’s greatest potters and clay artists. Enjoy wonderful food and beautiful handmade pottery on a colorful autumn weekend. Admission is free and lunches are available for purchase on site."   October 8th and 9th.
Picture
0 Comments

Fall Color Update

9/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Some of the sugar and red maple specimen trees around the Heritage Ridge Villas are going into full color.  Other trees are simply kissed by fall color at this point.  Overall the trees are mostly green with lovely pops of color starting. 
0 Comments

Dramatic Fall Sunset

9/23/2016

1 Comment

 
The last two nights have brought dramatic fall sunset bounces in the East over the Black Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Residents on their back decks got to enjoy the following, with a view of Mt. Celo.  Overall the trees are all still green in early fall, with kisses of color here and there.  But the sky, oh my!  No color manipulation in this image.  Louise Lindsay
Picture
© 2016 Louise Lindsay
1 Comment

Friends sharing a Mountain Eclair from Well Bred Bakery in Weaverville

9/13/2016

0 Comments

 
Friends from Nashville visiting.  Some played golf.  Some took a trip to nearby Weaverville.  We all highly recommend the Well Bred Bakery there.  Weather at Mountain Air is gorgeous also!  Cool and sunny.  Touches of leaf color change.
Picture
0 Comments

Beginning of Fall Color

9/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Fall color is just starting around the Heritage Ridge Villas.  The trees below are on Stoney Falls Loop.  Also the sunsets at the Heritage Ridge Park lookout are great.  iPhoneography images.
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

    Author

    Heritage Ridge Villas residents and guests

    Archives

    October 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    Art Exhibits
    Art Galleries
    Classes
    Fall Color
    Film And Movies
    Food
    For Children
    Hiking Trails
    Holidays
    Look Outs
    Mountain Air Country Club Events
    Music
    Nature
    News
    Photography
    Restaurants
    Sports
    Things To Do
    Video
    Views
    Weather

    RSS Feed

    Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer should automatically add the RSS feed when you click on the RSS Feed button above.  For Chrome users, add an RSS feed reader here.  The RSS feed reader will appear on your tool bar.  Then, click on the RSS feed button above, and the HRV blog feed will be added, Anytime you look at the installed RSS feed button in your tool bar, a number will show you how many new posts exist.  Click on the RSS feed button in your toolbar, and it will take you right to the HRV blog new posts.  You can always right click and hide or remove the feed button if you do not like it.  

    Archives

    October 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

Location

© 2016 Heritage Ridge Villas Condominium Association, Inc.  All Rights Reserved




 
Most Images © Louise Lindsay 

  • Home
  • About
  • Location
  • The Villas
    • Exteriors
    • Interiors
    • Floor Plans and Design
  • Amenities
  • Links
  • Real Estate
  • HRV Blog
  • Gallery
  • Hiking Trails