Some info on Lake Tomahawk

 The Lakeview Center for Active Aging was housed in this building, which was flooded during the 2 storms on 9.25-27, 2024 (ending with Hurricane Helene). There has been no lunch program with Council on Aging, nor any of the recreational activities by Black Mountain Recreation. That's a lot of seniors doing nothing, surviving I hope, and waiting. This was the set-up for the Thanksgiving Lunch Pot Luck in 2018.

During Hurricane Helene,the Lake Tomahawk dam held with the spillway working well, however there was water over the dam also. (sorry, these photos have been used before.)

During Hurricane Helene (following 2 days straight of rain).

The Lakeview Center taken from the old gazebo. You can see that it's downstairs is just a couple of feet above normal water level.

A Facebook message from Melinda Pilotes, the director of senior programming, dated Oct. 7, 2024:

The good news is that the upper floor at Lakeview Center is mostly unscathed with only a few leaks in the ceiling. The downstairs, however, is mostly a total loss due to flooding. The water line was at 5' inside. At this time we have been unable to access the downstairs at any length. There is a lot of work to do before we will know whether there are electrical problems downstairs that will prevent us from turning the power on to the building. Whether we are able to use the upstairs while the downstairs undergoes complete restoration is also too early to be determined. Please know we are working on getting everyone back together as soon as possible both for the meal site program and all our other classes and games. We will also keep you posted with any important updates as we progress.

But the good news is that people can walk around Lake Tomahawk again!

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And this old senior hobbled her way around Sunday, a sunny day at the lake (which unfortunately won't happen, sunny I mean, again for a while.)

Somebody has shoveled out the mud and then pressure washed this picnic shelter. Look above at the flood version where only the roof was above water. I guess since most of it is concrete block, it didn't harbor mold after the water receded.

The tennis courts also have been cleared, as well as part of the path scraped down a bit.

It's still covered with the dried mud though. But the new gazebo in the distance looks fine.

 Mallards of the lake don't seem to mind.

Though the sturdy bridge is in place, the path leading up to it hasn't been cleared, and it means some muddy choices of steps even on a sunny day. I wonder why this area wasn't shoveled out as well as others.

Of course many four footed friends go for walks here.

Up above the lake's parking lot I saw this team has parked, and will probably be back at work on the weekdays.

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PS If you read this after 8:30 am Friday, I'm adding the news that we had our first snow!

Today's quote:

Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.

ECKHART TOLLE