New Year 2009 on Lake Norman

We are having some typical "winter" weather here in North Carolina. Typical here is cold one day unseasonably warm the next. These photos were all taken yesterday, December 30, 2008 on the south end of LKN. 

So, if you are not afraid of water in the 40 degree range and a bit of a breeze (expecting gust around 60 MPH today), head out to the lake and have some fun. The water levels are still respectable and the traffic is very light. 

Happy New Year from LKN Local!

It Just Keeps Getting Easier to get to Lake Norman

The Harris Development Group is planning a retail/residential development close to Caldwell Station. For those familiar with the area, that is right on the highly anticipated light rail line. 

In the 12+ years we've lived at LKN, we've heard about the completion of the outer belt loop and light rail. Now that the economy is slumping and new construction is slowing to less than a crawl, please forgive me if I am less than excited by the news. What I can tell you is that in those 12+ years, the population and traffic have shot off the charts. 

However, if this development DOES come to pass and light rail DOES make it up our way, then I promise to be excited. I might even do some shopping there. Until then, I am going to enjoy looking out the window at LKN, which makes a little traffic worth it all!

Note to Self...

Okay, this story has nothing to do with living at LKN but it just had to be passed on. 

Seems a bank robber needed something to write his holdup note on. So he grabs the closest piece of paper, his payroll stub. Needless to say, authorities solved the the crime quickly!

Lake Norman Holidays - Merry Christmas!

Well, we are counting down to the big day on Thursday and while we won't have a white Christmas on LKN, we certainly have the cold weather to put us in the Christmas spirit! We started the day at 20 degrees! Since we don't have an enclosure for our boat cabin, we won't be doing a cruise on the lake any time soon!

I hope you all have a great holiday and happy New Year. 

No Vacancy in Lake Norman

The Town of Cornelius is one step closer to banning vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods. I'm not sure I have enough information to be educated on the issue but the bottom line is that vacation rentals are going to be harder to come by if this passes. 

How to Become a Weather Geek

"My name is Tommy and I am a gadget geek" (Hello Tommy).....

At least that is what I feel I should be saying. I can't seem to help myself (although my wife seems to be enough help for us both but that is another post). If it runs on a laptop, can be plugged into a wall charger or a car cigarette lighter, I just want it, period. So imagine my delight when I found a web site today that sells weather station equipment. I was even more delighted to learn that you can join a network of other weather geeks and deliver real time weather data to the network. I have to tell you, it is all I can do to not to whip out the Visa and go to town!

But not only is being a weather geek fun for me, it is down right necessary because of my other obsession, boating. No responsible captain takes to the waves until he has checked the weather, both current conditions and the forecast. Now, do I need a $500 home weather station to do that? Well, no but wouldn't it be cool? I mean, I could tell my wife if it is cold, raining, and windy without ever opening a door or window. What woman doesn't want that kind of efficiency from her man? Anyone?

Oh well, I guess I will once again suppress my inner geek and log into weather.com!

A Faster Way to Lake Norman

Finally! Believe it or not, the new Northwestern leg of I-485 opened this weekend! Friday at 2pm, the state DOT opened the 5 mile leg of the yet to be completed outer beltway. From the south, the west or even downtown, there is now a new and faster way to make it to Lake Norman. 

We took a drive down the virgin pavement Friday night and outside of the very dark surrounding area, the only thing we felt was a smooth, un-congested cruise (much like a mid-week cruise on LKN :-)

So, come see us up here! LKN, not only a great place to live, work, and play but now easier to get to!

Lake Norman Holiday Lights

Thanksgiving is starting to feel like a faint memory. I mean it was a whole week ago and we are now well into the Christmas season. Of course, retailers across the country have been decorated for the holiday since the day after Labor Day but for many, we are just now starting to dig out the baubles and lights for our homes. 

As I was sitting in my office last night, I couldn't help but notice the homes across the cove from me. They have not only decorated the "front" of their homes but many have also decorated the other front (meaning the lake side). As I sat here and grimaced that I was still in my office at 9:30, I have to say that it truly lifted my spirits, holiday and otherwise, to see the lights shimmering on the water. To those LKN neighbors that were thoughtful enough to consider my point-of-view, thank you. What a beautiful way to brighten the holidays!

What is Old is New Again...

A few years back, WCNC one of our local television stations, choose not to renew the contract of their lead meteorologist, Terri Bennett. Terri was a great personality for the station and her departure was a surprise for many in the area. 

Not to be left in the dust storm of old media players, Terri and her husband had the foresight years before to register the domain name terribennett.com. Because the brass at WCNC hadn't been forward thinking enough to include restrictions on digital media in her contracts, Ms. Bennett was free to launch into the digital media marketplace the day she left the station. 

Fast forward to 2008 and you can find a wealth of local information, including the weather, on her web site. There are blogs, videos, local advertisers and more that are of interest to locals. So, while most of our content is focused on Lake Norman locals, I think it is worth your time to check out some other local info. 

NC Considers Boater Education Requirements

It looks like we are one step closer to legislation that would require boater education in North Carolina. As you've seen in my previous post, I think at minimum, required boater education is necessary. 

Living and boating on Lake Norman is great but only as long as everyone returns at the end of the trip safe and unharmed. Mandatory boater education could go a long way in helping that become a reality. I will hold out my full support until I see the final language of the bill but on the surface, this is a step in the right direction.