We Love Durham NC

Duke Park at End of Summer

We joined the Durham Mothers Club for an open playgroup, and found Duke Park to be a lot of fun in the cooler weather.

Several trees have been taken down due to age, but new ones are thriving in replacement. Leaves are just heading towards yellow for fall.
Something new we discovered was that the circular path is perfect for tricycling… probably very fun on a scooter because of the incline.

(There are pictures of the playground equipment at Duke Park here.)

Water Testing

The boy and I headed to the Science Museum early Saturday morning for the Wetlands Program for Families.

It was still cool when we arrived, but quickly warmed as the sun came all the way up. Fall in North Carolina… wear layers.

We started by testing water from the museum wetlands for five factors: temperature, oxygen, pH, nitrate, and turbidity (cloudiness). It involved lots of measuring, shaking, and mixing with chemicals, using video instructions on iPods. The oxygen testing was the most complex, with several steps. The boy learned a lot about using glassware like test tubes and droppers.

After recording all this data on our record sheet, we did the second part of the data collection: finding animals in the water. (Animals have different tolerances for dirty water, so the types of animals found are a good indicator of water quality.) We scooped them out into a bucket and put some into a magnifier to see them up close. Using reference guides and help from the scientists, we identified them based on number of tails, shape of body, and similar traits. We found things like aquatic worms, diving beetles, and dragonfly larvae, even a tadpole this time of year.

Afterwards, we walked to the Insectarium to record the data on the computer and calculate the quality of the water. The data will be gathered over time by different groups and then compiled by the scientists at the museum.

There was so much fun learning crammed into the 2 and 1/2 hours. The museum continues to amaze with opportunities to learn about science.

The Wetlands program repeats on 10/19.

Boot Camp for Fitness

…and if you’d like to experience boot camp for yourself, check out Empower’s Strongfit Boot Camp.

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Empower Personal Training is offering it’s first Strongfit Boot Camp. The Empower Boot Camp is an intense, no nonsense 8wk. course designed for those who want to push themselves to their limits, challenge themselves mentally and physically and break the monotony of their established fitness routine. Strongfit Boot Camp takes place outside, so you’re not locked into machines — the body is moving as it is intended to move. Exercises mimic everyday movements and daily tasks, making it truly functional in nature. The group format of this class allows for more social interaction and is less expensive than private personal training, but still a very effective strength training program.

www.youtube.com/becomepowerful

Boot Camp begins September 8th and will run through October 2nd (4 weeks) 6:30pm Monday and Thursday evenings in the courtyard behind Empower Personal Training’s studio located at 3211 Shannon Rd., Durham. You can choose to sign up for the 4-class option and attend either the Monday or Thursday class or you can come to all 8 classes both Monday and Thursday. The 4-class option is $80 and the 8-class option $160. To register online click on the appropriate link below:

4-class option = $80 register

8-class option = $160 register

Deer Hunting in Duke Forest

If you like to go on long walks with your kids or dogs in Duke Forest, check the hunting schedule first!

Press Release About Deer Hunting in Duke Forest

Okay, it’s only Mon-Thu, only this fall, and only done by official hunting groups (NO PUBLIC HUNTING ALLOWED). It’s also isolated to two main areas, and most hunting will be done with bows.

New Pineywood Park Playground

The Pineywood Park playground was renovated in the last week, and the town is abuzz with reports of how fun the new equipment is. Everything is so shiny! There are some unique climbing features, too. We observed it was appropriate for all ages… at least 1 year through 8 years old. Here are some photos we took today.

Pineywood Park is located on the Woodcroft Parkway inside the Woodlake Community.

The bathrooms have not been renovated, but this has been one of my favorite things about Pineywood. The bathrooms are separated into individual stalls, allowing more privacy. I also took a headshot so you can see how clean they are. I picked a random stall.

More planned Durham park, etc. additions and improvements can be seen here.

Loud Feast

Flocks of cardinals–flocks, I tell you–have descended on our yard, gathering fallen seeds and juicy insects for their little ones. It’s a loud feast; last night the girl had to cover her ears to go to sleep.

Duke Gardens, Brown

The theme at Duke Gardens today was Brown, with Pansies. Couldn’t decide if this is because of the drought or the month.

Brown frisbee field… the whole field is blocked off for grass renovation.

A giant Koi easily visible without lilypads to hide beneath

Detail of new bridge, east of the terrace gardens

Notes from the Inaugural Walkabout

We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked/scootered to the center of downtown. The goal was to have a little walk, absorb a little Durham, and grab a Locopop. The walk up was not bad. There are a lot of driveways to have to stop and wait for everyone to catch up. Saw one of the Zombie Lurch cars. The planned bathroom stop at the Marriott wasn’t comfortable–I don’t think the bathrooms are actually public, and dragging kids in beside a bar full of people networking during a conference not such a good idea. The fountain outside was off. Locopops was closed (in that location only; Hillsborough is open) for the winter. Okay, so far, so not good. Quick save by stepping over to Blue Coffee Cafe to try some of their 24-flavors of soft serve. Blueberry and blackberry, getting better. Blue Coffee is the little living room of the downtown–comfy couches, reading material, toys. After a short break to dig through the toy box and then a quick hug to Major outside, we zoomed back down the hill to play on the turtle at Central Park and then back to the car. Took about an hour, learned a lot for next time.

Drought-resistant plants

I’ve been looking for a place that listed native plants for our area. Here’s one showing drought-resistant trees and shrubs for Durham.

Little River Park in North Durham

We went to a picnic at Little River Park in North Durham, about 10 miles out of town up Guess Road… you actually go into Orange County on the road to get there–the park was created by both Durham and Orange Counties. Looking at the Little River park map, I see that we didn’t enjoy half of what is available. The field and playground are great, and the shelter looks new. There are bathrooms and water fountains, and historical buildings (a corn crib, for example). There is a Bluegrass Festival at Little River at the end of September.
See more Durham parks here.Â