4. Mallard Landing – Socializing

One afternoon shortly after I arrived, I was tired of unpacking the mountain of boxes still to be opened. I sat down for a while but soon was bored. Then I remembered a little musicale was being held downstairs at 3 p.m. The musicians were from a local (Snow Hill is local around here) restaurant so I went down to check it out. In honor of Veterans Day, which was soon to be celebrated, the trio were playing popular songs from the war eras. Then they wrapped up their one-hour show with a medley of songs identified with the various military branches. As each song was played, representatives of that branch of service who were in the audience stood and joined in the singing. I enjoyed a pleasant hour of music sitting by the fire and joining in. And then it was time for Happy Hour.

Here we begin drinking at 4 p.m! Mallard Landing does not have a license to sell alcohol, so those who want a drink bring their bottle and volunteer-residents serve them their drinks. Set ups are provided, but most people bring wine. Any leftovers can be stored with your name on the bottle behind the bar waiting for your next visit. Sometimes people pull tables together and everyone sits at the community table. Other times in cold weather, the fire is lighted, and we sit around the fireplace munching on nibbles and laughing at each other’s stories. It’s sort of like Cheers “where everyone knows your name” but there’s no money changing hands. Very civilized.

 

Then at 5 o’clock it is time to walk next door to dinner. The dining room has table cloths and cloth napkins and wait-staff who learn your name very quickly. Since we all usually arrive at the same time and all order from the menu or the daily specials, the meal can take about an hour or so. Sometimes things get a little boisterous at one or two tables, but there is always plenty of food…enough to take a doggie bag home for lunch the next day.

Salisbury University has a number of cultural events, many at no charge. A friend invited me to join her one evening and off we went. The Mallard Landing bus picked us up outside the dining room after dinner and delivered us to the door at SU. The room we were in was paneled and was a lovely, intimate setting with maybe seventy-five people in attendance. That evening there were three classical musicians playing a piano, violin and cello. I think they were instructors at the university. Time flew. And then afterward there were some nice little cakes and cookies. Then our group left, got on the bus that was waiting for us, and each of us was delivered to the front doors of our building. Just one of the percs offered by the HOA. I can get used to this life-style.