June 2003 Archived Columns
6/27/2003
We had a nice rain last night (Thursday), but it finally dried out enough last week for the farmers to begin haying. Unfortunately, when it happens this late, it takes quite a toll on the deer, who can’t be seen in the high grass and won’t move.We’ve been very busy in the office, both for listing and selling, and the trend seems to be strengthening. We’re also experiencing some mismatched expectations, because the market in Atlanta is such a buyer’s market at this time that folks who come up from Atlanta expect the same to be going on up here. But the second home market is a different animal. If people can afford a second home, they can probably afford to wait until they get the price they want. In other words, they are rarely highly motivated, and almost never distressed. Our weekend rental market is so strong, that even if they move away, they can usually rent enough to defray expenses.
Cynthia and I ran the river last week (6/17), from just above Dial to just above the Shallowford Bridge. At this time of year, you usually need a little rain to get enough water to canoe, and we had a small thunderstorm the night before. The TVA reported the stream flow at 5 AM at 850 cfm, which I thought was just high enough. On this stretch, you run the river pretty consistently to the right, with a few notable exceptions. Depending on your skill level and motivation, it might be wise to take out just before the rapids and the small island in the river that precedes the Shallowford Bridge. I usually take on significant water there. If you do run it, it is usually best run on the left.
By the time we got into that area, the water level had dropped a little, and we had some problems clearing the rocks on the final stretch. The reading at the river gage was 2.29 at 11:30 AM, and the TVA reported 617 cfm at 1:00.
It was a little difficult because the river was stained because of the rain, and it was hard to see the rocks properly. But we had a good time watching the Kingfishers and ducklings, which were too small to fly but not too small to skid across the water at a high rate of speed. The peace and quiet on the weekday river, along with the wildlife, makes this a highly enjoyable trip.
Please remember to check the calendar for some fun things to do this weekend. I’ll try to get the July calendar up soon, because we’ve got some good stuff going on over the 4th.
6/16/2003
It’s dried out to a certain extent lately, and we’re still having fairly cool mornings. It was 62 on the porch this morning, and Saturday and Sunday were really beautiful. It’s always nice when the weather stays a little cool up here in the spring, rather than slamming directly into summer. This Monday afternoon, we got another thunderstorm.The wet weather should set the pine beetles back a bit, because long-term droughts stress the trees and make them more susceptible to the beetle. It’s been good for the garden and the understory, which has gotten a little thin after the past couple of years. I noticed that two of the ten dogwoods we got from the state forest service last January already have leaves. That’s pretty amazing, because they were bare root seedlings. The blackberries are just starting to turn black, but I haven’t found any yet that have sweetened. Stay tuned for the famous blackberry margarita recipe, which I’ll print once again when the berries mature.
We’ve been very busy in the office lately, and things are looking good for a great summer selling season. I’ve recently listed some rare lots on the river, and I still have a great lot in My Mountain/Meadowoods. According to our broker, we had 470 unique visitors to our website on Sunday, with 5262 month-to-date. Our commission income is up an amazing 82 percent, year-to-date over last year. The fact that the market is soft in Atlanta has led some of our buyers to conclude that our market has shifted to a buyer’s market, but it’s still a seller’s market in the mountains.
According to the News Observer, the school board’s recently approved budget will require a $1.3 million tax increase, raising the millage to 14.25. Although they did not say so, this is necessary because our sales tax revenues have plummeted since the Home Depot opened in Blairsville, apparently to the great surprise of our elected officials. According to the tax office, the tax bill on an $100,000 assessment will increase by $52.
Cynthia and I took our first swim in the lake last week (6/10), and it was refreshing and not too cool. Unfortunately, the Forest Service appears to have discontinued the lifeguard service at Morganton Point.
If you’re planning to come up and fly fish, it’s time to come up while the streams are still fairly cool.
Speaking of fishing, the Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery staff just got an award from the White House for an innovative method of raising trout fry without the use of Formalyn, which is a carcinogen. Congratulations for this nice work!
The June calendar is up on the site. Don’t forget to get out and around and visit some of our local points of interest. The Chamber of Commerce, behind the United Community Bank across from the McDonald’s, also has a wealth of information on things to do in the area.
6/5/2003
For those of you who wondered, I’m still alive and kicking. I just did something a real estate agent should never do, which is to take a few days off to go to the Indy 500. I’ve been swamped ever since, and I’ve only got time for a brief update.It’s finally dried up some, and we’ve been having beautiful, clear mornings in the low fifties and very nice afternoons. There’s some threat of rain in the forecast for this weekend, but the weather has been wonderful and I hope that trend continues.
It will probably be a day or so before I can get the June calendar posted, but some good weekend stuff is below:
Saturday is National Trails Day, with all trail fees waived by the forest service. Contact them at 706.632.3031.
The Georgia Wine Country Festival, June 7-8, in Dahlonega, 706.864.3711.
The Blue Ridge Community Theater is playing “Dearly Departed” by David Bottrell & Jesie Jones. Curtain is at 7:30 PM, Friday and Saturday and 3:00 PM Sunday. Tickets $12.50 at 706.632.9223 or www.blueridgecommunitytheater.com.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association is having an opening reception for the Cherie Low and Arlene Egert Exhibit, June 7, reception from 5 PM to 6:30 PM, followed by the downtown gallery tour. 706.632.2144.
