Wed 10/11 – 7-9 PM – NC Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present Alyse Bensen as the next in their series “In the Company of Writers.”The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic visit: https://thebrandybar.com/writers-open-mic/ Alyse Bensel is the author of “Rare Wondrous Things: A Poetic Biography of Maria Sibylla Merian” (Green Writers Press, 2020), and three chapbooks. Her poems, essays, and book reviews have appeared in AGNI, Cream City Review, South Dakota Review, and West Branch. She serves as Poetry Editor for Cherry Tree and teaches at Brevard College, where she directs the Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference (LGRWC). Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference is a creative experience for selected writers who aspire to foster reading, writing, and creativity. Exploring the theme “A Sense of Place,” conference attendees are guided by notable writers in various genres. Founded in 2016 as a partnership between the Transylvania County Library and Brevard College, the conference includes free public readings by workshop leaders. The 2024 conference faculty are Linda Hogan, poetry; Pam Houston, non-fiction; and Jason Mott, fiction. For more info visit: https://www.lgrwc.org/
Thurs 10/12 – 4-9 PM Monarch Butterfly Cocktails – With their striking orange, black and white patterned wings fluttering across Carolina blue skies, monarch butterflies put on quite the magical show. We North Carolinians are lucky to have a front-row seat to this kaleidoscope of natural beauty as this extraordinary species emerge usually starting the first week in May. But sadly, the Monarchs are returning for winter vacation, like some of our members. The time for the annual migration of the Monarch Butterfly is winding down, with only a few stragglers left. The annual migration of North America’s monarch butterfly is a unique and amazing phenomenon. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults in some species, monarchs cannot survive the cold winters of northern climates. Using environmental cues, the monarchs know when it is time to travel south for the winter. Monarchs use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home!
North Carolina’s Monarchs make a second home in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico while the Monarchs in Western North America (west of Rocky Mountain range) overwinter from October to late March along the Pacific coast near Santa Cruz and San Diego in California. Monarchs roost for the winter in oyamel fir forests at an elevation of 2,400 to 3,600 meters (nearly 2 miles above sea level) where the humidity assures the temperature is high enough so they will not need to use their far reserves. Monarchs cluster together to stay warm. Tens of thousands of Monarchs can cluster on a single tree.
Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey. The farthest-ranging monarch butterfly recorded traveled 265 miles in one day. So, get out there and plant more milkweed so we can continue to enjoy this gift of nature!
MONARCH COCKTAILS – Float Like A Butterfly – Clear Creek Fir Brandy, honey syrup, lemon juice, chamomile bitters, Champagne topper; Electric Blue Butterfly – CB Frost, curacao, lemonade, Sprite; Hookah Butterfly – Cherry brandy, rum, curacao, Sprite; Violet Butterfly – CB Frost, lemon juice, hyacinth syrup, cucumber; Cognac flight – 1/2 price