Mountain Azaleas (Rhododendron Canescus) are deciduous, native shrubs known for fragrant, light pink to white tubular flowers in early spring.

Mountain Laurels (Kalmia Latifolia) and Azaleas are related acid-loving flowering shrubs. Mountain Laurels feature unique, star-shape, white-to-pink clusters in early summer with 5-sided blooms.

Both are native to North America and we are lucky to have them in Tranquility. Be sure to protect these native plants.

Mountain Azalea

Photo by Kim Pass

Beware: snakes 🐍 are emerging! There have already been sightings with the recent warm air and the warm stretch ahead will probably really bring them out. Copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes…the whole slew of venomous and non-venomous snakes. Stay alert!

Chief Meteorologists David Paul

As stated in the Ellijay Times-Courier, The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bear (AGFOB) would like to remind the public that March marks the black bears to emerge from their den. The warmer weather will bring the adult male, subadults and moms with yearlings out to start foraging for another year. Moms with cubs of the year will emerge in mid-April to early May.

Attractants like birdseed, hummingbird feeders, pet food, livestock food, greasy barbecues, smokers, fish cookers and wildlife feeders are easily accessed by black bears. Minimize attractants and availability’s of food rewards throughout your yard and neighborhood. Help us save a bears life and remove the attractants.

The intentional and unintentional feeding of bears teach them to approach homes and humans for food which is a recipe for human-bear conflict. Two-thirds of human-bear conflict is because bears having access to garbage. In addition, it destroys the bears teeth, digestive tracts and results in a slow and painful death.

The creek is bound in crystal sheets,

Where silence holds the winter sweets.

A murmur underneath the ice,

A frozen, quiet paradise.

Black water cuts through banks of white,

Reflecting back the frozen light.

The frosted breath of sleeping earth,

Awaits the spring for gentle birth

No leaves to rustle, only stone,

The winter creek, alone, alone. 

We would like to thank the Architectural Control Committee members Val Calmari, Paul Labonte, and Dale Powers for their contributions here in Tranquility at Carters Lake. They have done an admirable job in a difficult role to make sure that our community maintains its integrity.

Tranquility at Carters Lake is in the process of recruiting volunteers to serve in the role on the Architectural Control Committee in 2026. If interested please contact any of the board members.

Linda Glaser lindataclboard@gmail.com

Steve Marcinko stevetaclboard@gmail.com

Kim Pass Kimtaclboard@gmail.com

Richard Culoso Richtaclboard@gmail.com

Billy Fowler billyjfowler@gmail.com

Various local groups and businesses have decorated trees for the library. The Gilmer County Library is located at 268 Calvin Jackson Drive, Ellijay, Georgia.

Merry Christmas, our deer are now back up in Tranquility at Carters Lake. Pam and Jonathan Lorch graciously purchased the deer after the others mysteriously disappeared last year. Thank you so much for your generosity.

We all need to give a big shout out to the Pas’s and the Marcinko’s for getting the deer up the hill and plugging them in.

An incredible view from Doll Mountain last night. Be sure to take a few minutes tonight and go outside to view the northern lights. It’s a view that words can’t describe. You’ll be able to see them with the naked eye but appearance varies depending on the aurora’s strength and viewing conditions. Using a camera can capture more vibrant colors. Night mode can reveal more color than the eye can see at first.