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Book Club Holiday Party

For their December meeting the NPNA Book Club enjoyed a holiday party. Attendees read snippets from favorite childhood or other holiday books. Everyone also brought books for an exchange. Thank you Anne Thomas for hosting!

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November Last Friday First Call

The Last Friday event was held on Nov. 17th at the home of Gene and Flo Leslie. The event was moved to the 17th due to Thanksgiving. 49 people attended and enjoyed Gene’s homemade smoked brisket sliders and lots of conversation and laughs. A good time was had by all.

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It’s My Park Day

Gary Barton, the NPNA Park & Creek Leader coordinated 20 adults and 13 children on their jobs cleaning the park and creek.  Shelby Collier, Jan Mateja and Joan Dolan cleaned & distributed mulch in the seven flower beds.  The weather was perfect.  Thank you to all of you who helped.  A special Thank You to Sandy Blaydes for taking the photos, plus many other photos in this newsletter.

Besides paper trash and cans, volunteers found a tire, chainlink fence, lumber, a $20 bill and part of a pellet gun. 

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Fall Along the Creek

Soapberry tree

November 2017. 

While we wait for more dramatic fall foliage, an unhurried walk along the Creek this week showcased the colorful fruit of a number of native trees, at the same time providing a reliable identification aid that is not available during the summer months.

In Cox Lane Park, signature yellow berries cover the Soapberry Tree, with its distinctive coarse bark in plain view against the blue sky.

Sumac Berries

The red berries of the Flame Sumac will remain after most leaves have fallen, and in the tri-lobed pods of the Mexican Buckeye, one can see the glossy black seeds, round enough that rural children of the last century used them as serviceable marbles, according to the authors of Texas Trees, A Friendly Guide. As if endorsing that notion, our aging cat playfully pounced on one , batting it from the kitchen table and chasing it around on the floor.

Buckeye pod and bean

Mexican buckeye

In the spring and summer, the pink flowers of the buckeye can be confused with the Mexican Plum or possibly the more common redbud.

 

 

Osage Orange fruits

On the ground near the creek, the large seed balls of the Osage Orange wait for any takers. Few animals seem to want them.

 

 

 

Halloween sunset over Joe’s Creek

If one does not find enough color on the ground, look up – as a long time neighbor observed, Texas sunsets can be spectacular. This Halloween sunset over Joe’s Creek seemed a fitting backdrop for the young.

Vince Punaro, Creek Leader

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Halloween Parade

Thank you to all who attended the Disney Streets Halloween Parade. The parade tradition began 31 years ago in the Disney Streets, but has grown over the years to include all of NPNA. We hope you and your little ghosts and goblins had a great time!

Melissa Chapel, Halloween Parade Leader

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Last Friday First Call

The October event was a great success with about 50 neighbors braving the chilly weather to enjoy conversation and laughs. Thank you, Jeanie Feeney and Garry Leigh, for hosting and letting us enjoy your beautiful gardens. And thank you, section 10 director Louise Smith, for coordinating the event.

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MMI October 2017

Me, Myself & I, a luncheon group for Northaven women who are single, divorced or widowed, met in October at Fernando’s Mexican. We meet the third Tuesday of the month and enjoy meeting our neighbors.

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Fall Membership Meeting

Thank you to all who attended the Fall NPNA Meeting on October 12. Over 120 attended. Among the speakers and their topics of discussion were: 
   – Wendy Miller, Withers Elementary principal: recent physical and technological improvements to the school
   –  Jeff Kitner, Friends of Northaven Trail president: ground breaking for the portion of the trail going through our neighborhood should be before the end of the year
   – Deputy Chief Catrina Shead, Northwest Division commander: update about recent home invasion and other incidents in the neighborhood
   – Jennifer S. Gates, District 13 Dallas City Council: AirBNB home in neighborhood, upcoming city bond election, City Council actions regarding Confederate statues and street names. 
 
Thank you to the volunteers who assisted with the meeting and those who form the NPNA Board of Directors. These volunteers invest a significant portion of their time and energy to make NPNA the best neighborhood in Dallas.

 

 

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Helping The Bees:

How to Create A Garden They’ll Love

Helping the bee population thrive is so important these days, as they are dying off at an alarming rate due to pesticide use and loss of habitat. These tiny creatures play such a huge role in our food production system that without them, it would be next to impossible to manually pollinate the nation’s crops. Can you imagine a world without blueberries or apples? Spinach and tomatoes? Unfortunately, that’s a very real possibility we face if the bees continue to decline in population. What you can do >>

About the author: After trying a friend’s “homemade” honey 2 years ago, Christy Erickson began learning more about backyard beekeeping and its role in sustainability. She is committed to collecting and distributing the most accurate and up-to-date resources on the bee crisis and information on how to help in your own community. She lives here in Dallas and created SavingOurBees.

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October Coffee Klatch

About 30 neighbors enjoyed coffee and pastries at the home of Bernie and Maureen Clements. Thank you, Bernie and Maureen, for opening your lovely home. The next Coffee Klatch will be in December. Watch for details soon.

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