Davenports 2023

Lynne

As usual I stayed busy with trips and other activities.

Trips:

February:found me in Phoenix visiting Judy and Wolfgang with Kathy K., Tresie and Nancy. We did some hiking and toured the Queen Creek Olive Mill tour where Wolfgang was working. We went to Scottsdale shopping and played pickleball and had a great time reminiscing.

Also in February, I went to Hilton head with Wendy, Terri and Mark. Unfortunately the Stegalls had covid and were unable to join us.

March: Kathy F. and I went to Art In Bloom in Raleigh – a great show at the Contemporary Art Museum where artists make flower arrangements to depict different art pieces. It was very interesting and amazing to see what these artists did. It was also Emily’s surprise engagement where the family all gathered in Raleigh to celebrate her engagement. She and Shoji will be married in September of 2024.

April: The big trip of the year was hiking in Machu Picchu. I went with Sue and friends and we did 60 miles in 8 days. The Mountain Lodges of Peru did an excellent job in getting our gear from cabin to cabin. Two of the cabins were only accessible by foot. The gear was transported by mules. The accommodations were very nice and we had hot towels waiting upon our arrival from hiking each day. We hiked anywhere from 5 – 10 miles a day. We hiked the Salkantay Pass (15,000 feet), saw Humantay Lake, and walked around Machu Picchu. We stayed in Cusco and walked through the rain forest and through the Santa Teresa Valley. We drank pisco sours, tried alpaca and even guinea pig. The trip was well organized and had not been on my bucket list but I was glad to finish. It was the hardest and best thing I have ever done!

June: Wendy and I went with Captain John to help him on the Hudson River. He is completing the Great American Loop and needed some crew. We were at four marinas and went through several locks. We left from Shady Creek Marina in New Baltimore and were docked in Mechanicville, Troy and Schuyler Marina near Saratoga. We toured the Saratoga battlefield and Schuyler’s homesite. Karen gave us a ride from Rensselaerville and Sue picked us up and took us back to drive south from Rensselaerville.

July: Karen had surgery for tongue cancer so I went up to help her. She is doing well. I was able to meet Anna for dinner who has since moved to Baltimore.

Also in July, I had a second trip to Rensselaerville by way of Longwood Gardens to see the light and fountain show. Mary, Kathy F. and Kathy K. joined me. We came home by way of Ocean City, NJ visiting Lori Miley and took the Cape May ferry south.

I also met Sue and Blair in Raleigh to go wedding dress shopping with Emily. She said “Yes to the dress” so that was exciting to share in that joy.

August: Teresa, Mary Louise and Kim flew to Rensselaerville for the contra dance and fund raiser in Mom’s memory at Conkling Hall. We also hosted the church luncheon that weekend.

September: I flew up to Rensselaerville for Karen’s baptism and ended up spending the night in the DC airport because of plane connections. That was my fourth trip to Rensselaerville this summer. I always say I should just move up there for the summer!

I hosted some MS bike rider volunteers again and had fun supporting all the riders.

Also in September, Blair and Tyler planned a fishing and hiking trip with Tyler’s parents, the Millers and me. We stayed in Trap Hill and went to several wineries in the Yadkin Valley. Michael Fosbury met us for lunch at one of the wineries on his way passing through back to NC. We visited Sheldon winery, Roaring River, Ralfadini, and Piconne. I had never spent any time in that part of NC and it was very nice. We hiked Stone Mountain and the guys went fishing.

October: Kathy K. and Kathy F. and I had a quick trip to Beach Mountain and Blowing Rock to see Allan and Kelly’s new place and get our fall fix as some of the leaves were changing.

Also the annual Parker/Teague dorm reunion was in October and Sue and I had a great reunion with friends and roommates from the 70s. We watched the away Carolina game at the Wilson’s house. Unfortunately we lost but had a great time seeing old faces.

November: I hosted Thanksgiving again and 21 people. We had our annual oyster roast the next day and Sue, Karen and I did the Outlaw Dash on Saturday. It is a walk in Trent Woods to support ALS and is in memory of my friend’s husband who passed away from ALS.

Also in November there was an artists studio tour in New Bern, where several artists open their homes and studios for people to tour. It is amazing how artistic this community is.

December: Blair and I went to LA for the Wortham’s son’s wedding. It was a great reunion with Scott’s college/high school friends. We went to Santa Monica and Venice Beach a few days before the wedding and stayed five blocks from the pier. We met Blair’s friends for a local tour and a hike. We went to Malibu and on our way to Burbank for the wedding, Blair and I ate at the Beverly Hill Hotel and drove down Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. We took a tour in Burbank of the Warner Brothers studio and had a great time eating, visiting and site-seeing.

Real Estate: It has not been as busy as in the past but I still continue to be active.

Golf: I played in a few fund raiser tournaments: Play the K, Craven Cancer Classic in memory of Scott, Civitan, and Journey of Hope. I also played in the Wine and Nine at the Emerald monthly that was for fun. The Craven Cancer Classic raised $50,000 and it was fun having the family all visit and play or volunteer.

Concerts: I attended a few concerts this year. I saw Stevie Nicks in Raleigh with Anna and Blair in May. Then I saw the Eagles and Doobie Brothers in November – both awesome concerts.

Other activities: I have been playing MahJong twice a week, still do tennis, golf, pilates, pickleball, book club, boot camp twice a week for about eight months, and walk just about every day. I also attend a bible study weekly. I have been able to pick up the grandkids a few times and enjoyed watching Everett play lacrosse. I also had season play tickets and am always amazed at what great talent there is in New Bern. I have been working on our Ayden-Grifton 50th high school class reunion which will be in August 2024. We have been meeting monthly since July. There have been a few weddings and baby showers and unfortunately several funerals.

Best wishes for 2024 to all the friends and family! Cheers!
Lynne Davenport

Blair

A Musical, Wedding-Filled Adventure!
shout out to ChatGPT for helping write this Haseley Herald

Hello Haseley Herald aficionados! As we bid adieu to 2023, it’s time to reflect on the whirlwind of events that made this year a spectacular one! From concerts to weddings and everything in between, this year’s adventures have been nothing short of amazing.

First, let’s back up to December 2022

I, of course, have to throw in an honorable mention to the amazing tropical vacation the whole family got to go on to celebrate Uncle Allan’s 60th birthday! It was truly an incredible weekend getting to visit with family and friends and reconnecting with some we haven’t seen in years! A HUGE thank you to Uncle Allan for setting up this amazing adventure!

January: Lights, Music, and Good Company

I kicked off the year in the city that never sleeps, NYC, with Niles, Andrew, Emily, Cameron, and our significant others, Tyler, Shoji, and Kara. We danced into the new year at Madison Square Garden, seeing one of our favorite bands, Phish. The lights were as dazzling as the memories we made!

February: A Move and Furry Friends

Tyler made the big move to Raleigh, and we settled into our new downtown two-bedroom at Cameron Court. Our kitties couldn’t be happier with their new work-from-home-dad situation. Cue the endless purrs and playtime!

March: Shhhh, it’s a Surprise Engagement

March was a month of adventure and love. Tyler and I escaped to the mountains for a weekend getaway, reveling in the serene beauty of nature. But the highlight of the month came when Shoji popped the question! We threw a surprise engagement party for Emily, surrounded by friends and a few surprise guests. The joyous occasion filled our hearts with anticipation for the family expansion coming next year.

April: Adventures, Dreamville, and Weddings Galore

April was a whirlwind of activities. I embarked on a girls trip to New Bern, staying at my mom’s house with some of my closest girlfriends from Raleigh. Then, the music scene called me to the third year of J Cole’s Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, where I got to see Usher, Drake, J Cole, Mario, and many others. Mountain adventures continued with a birthday celebration for Emily in Asheville. Our Airbnb was complete with fishing, hiking, and the unforgettable llama named Pierson! At the end of the month, wedding bells chimed in Murrells Inlet, where Tyler and I went down for one of his best friend’s weddings, marking Tyler’s debut as a groomsman.

Left: Tyler & Blair at Wedding in Murrells Inlet, SC. Right: *Wedding in Roaring Gap – left to right Abbey, Blair, Solana, Belva.*

May: Work, Cats, and Concerts

May brought about career changes as my company acquired hellojenny, leading to a transition to their team. Our feline companions, Melly and Betts, celebrated their first year with us, officially transitioning from kittens to full-fledged cats (kinda). Tyler and I went to a few Zebulon Mudcats games, and Anna and my mom came to town for a Stevie Nicks concert. At the end of the month, we headed back up to the mountains for another wedding for our college friends Ben and Jess. On the way, we stopped in Boone to fish, and I caught my first brook trout! The last weekend of the month was spent in New Bern for our annual Memorial Day weekend at my mom’s house with our college friends. We are so thankful she keeps letting us come back!

June: Back to Bonnaroo

June was all about work success and music magic. I organized a 200-person carnival event, marking a career milestone. Then, it was off to Charleston for a bridal shower, celebrating the upcoming nuptials of one of my best friends from college, Grayson. The highlight of the month was my return to Bonnaroo. I hadn’t been since 2019 due to Covid and weddings. Getting back on the farm was as incredible as I imagined! Our Roo Crew was huge this year, and we had a great time running around the farm. Tyler Childers stole the show, but we also got to see Griz, Remi Wolf, Odesza, Noah Kahan, Sheryl Crow, Soffi Tucker, and many more incredible musicians.

July: From Georgia to Western NC

July brought about more celebrations as I headed to Atlanta to visit my friend Markie for her birthday. Tyler and I headed back up the mountains after to Brevard with his parents for a weekend of fishing, hiking, and brewery visits. Back in Raleigh, we got a surprise visitor to our apartment! We discovered that a Southern Flying Squirrel was visiting our bird feeder each night, and our cats became so obsessed that we had to name him Woody.

August: MillerFest Magic and Bachelorette Bonanzas

August started with the enchantment of MillerFest! This year’s theme was MillerFest the 13th since it was our 13th year. It was a spooky and funky extravaganza that attracted our largest crowd yet! By Saturday afternoon, we had 150 attendees! The magic of pulling together an event like this for the 13th time was truly special. As the month progressed, the Bachelorette marathon began, taking me to Rosemary Beach for my friend Morgan’s and Austin for my friend Grayson’s. Each celebration left me in dire need of a post-celebration nap!

September: Concerts and Family Time

Early September saw me soaking in the Raleigh music scene, attending concerts, and hanging out with friends. Towards the end of the month, we embarked on a family weekend in the Stone Mountains with the Millers, my mom, and Tyler’s parents. Multiple vineyard visits, hikes, and fly fishing created lasting memories, and it was so nice to get to bring both of our families closer together!

October: Weddings and Celebrations

The first weekend of October was dedicated to the breathtaking wedding of our good friends Grayson and Capps at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The event marked a significant milestone in our college friend group, and the entire weekend was spent together, celebrating love and friendship. I also had the pleasure of going home for the golf tournament, always a blast and a cherished tradition. Tyler and I ventured to Savannah for my birthday, attending a Widespread Panic concert and celebrating my 28th and our 7th anniversary in some of the city’s most haunted bars.

November: More Weddings and Mountain Escapes

The celebration of love continued in November with a trip to New Bern for my high school friend Morgan’s wedding. Following the joyous occasion, Tyler and I escaped to Boone for a weekend retreat, celebrating his birthday early. The mountain air and familiar surroundings provided the perfect setting for relaxation and reflection.

December: Wedding Bells and Home for the Holidays

As I approach the end of the year, December promises more excitement. My mom is taking me as her plus one to a wedding in LA, adding a touch of glamor to the holiday season. Afterward, it’s a joyous return home for the holidays, filled with warmth, love, and cherished traditions that make this time of year truly special.

As I close the chapter on 2023, I am grateful for the memories, the music, the laughter, and the love that filled my year. Here’s to more adventures and joy in the coming year!

Happy Holidays, everyone!