January 30, 2012

The weather has been beautiful, but cold, after another rainy spell that left us with about a half inch of rain. Last week, we heard the peepers for the first time, and two days later started hearing the tree frogs. There are some crocus in bloom, and the daffodils are coming up. The pastures are greening up around Blue Ridge, and I'm starting to see the first waterfowl coming back through. I'm sure it will bounce back and forth as it always does, but it smells like spring, and there is a definite sense that the year has turned. So far, we've escaped having any significant snow, which is just fine with most of us after last year's extravaganza.

The first significant event of the season is the Fire & Ice festival and chili cook off on February 18th. In conjunction with that, Christy Lee's has booked Francine Reed for the 17th and 18th. The cover charge is $25. Reservations are essential and going fast. They tell me that after the Blues & Barbecue Festival last September, Francine came to the restaurant and sang with the piano player until late, and that is how they got the idea of booking her.

The Blue Orleans Bistro has also been booking some music, and I see that they have Jenni St. Claire on Valentine's Day, February 14.

The Arts Association is also having a Valentine Wine and Art Event at 7 PM on February 11, with wine from regional vineyards, music, and featured exhibits by Paul Fontana and Tom Chambers. Members $25, non-members, $25.

The L&L Beanery is having a candlelight dinner on Valentine's Day for $30 per person.

January 18, 2012

We had over an inch of rain at our place last night, and it came down hard at times. This morning, it was 29°. The roads were a little icy in places, but the wind dried out the roads for the most part, and it was pretty easy to get around. So the extent of the winter weather so far is still just a few flurries.

The Fannin County political "silly season" is heating up, with campaign announcements and rumors hitting almost every day. So far, Blue Ridge Police Chief Johnny Scearce has declared as a challenger to Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby. He's been police chief for seventeen years, and is well liked. Many observers give him an excellent chance of defeating Dane in the fall. Garnett Webb, currently Post 1 Commissioner, has announced his candidacy for County Chairman, and there are rumors of other challengers to Bill Simonds for this post. There are other elected officials who are expected to retire, which will lead to a more interesting election season than we have had in some time. Most or all of these folks will be running as Republicans, because - especially in a general election year - it is very tough going for a Democratic candidate in Fannin County.

A lot of people were relieved to learn that the Blue Ridge Food Lion will not be one of the stores that Food Lion is closing in Georgia. There is still no confirmation of the rumor that Wal-Mart is going to be building one of their smaller units - the ones keyed to competing with Dollar General - next to the Home Depot. I guess that means that the Race Trac station on 515 at Josh Hall Road is the most visible addition to the local business scene in the last year.

The second part of the streetscape project has started in downtown Blue Ridge. It will be nice when it is completed, but right now West Main is closed in front of our office, and it seems it will be a while until the project is complete. At this point, I understand that they are working on water and sewer improvements.

January 9, 2012

We've been having some of what I like to call "mountain weather" - rain and drizzle along with beautiful, shifting fog and mist. Temperatures have been pretty warm, and we've had almost 6/10" of rain at our place in the past few days. Given the heavy snow we had around this time last year, few are complaining about the rain.

There are a couple of fairly new books that I've been meaning to mention.

First, botanist Paul G. Davidson and forest service biologist Mark Pistrang have collaborated on a self-published book, "A Trailside Guide to the Mosses and Liverworts of the Cherokee National Forest." I've only seen it online - you can find it on the blurb.com site - but it looks good, with lots of color photographs. Cost is $36.95 for the paperback. According to the comment posted by a biologist down on the Piedmont, the book is also useful for the Athens and Atlanta areas. It's definitely on my wish list.

Second, I've just finished Winton Porter's "Just Passin' Thru: A Vintage Store, the Appalachian Trail, and an Unforgettable Cast of Characters." Porter is the proprietor of the trail store at Neal's Gap, on 19/129 south of Blairsville (just east of Blood Mountain). He's the first point of resupply for the northbound hikers on the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, and the shop is famous for its weight-saving shakedowns of inexperienced hikers and their gear. The store and residence were constructed by the CCC, and are well worth a stop for the architecture and the view. (The current store was apparently the ballroom of lodge located there.) The shop also has a great collection of trail guides and field guides. In fact, it is probably the best bookstore in the area these and similar local categories. Mr. Porter described the book to me as "a comedy," and it is, although it has a little of everything from hiker rescues to local sociology. Most of the focus, though, is on the human comedy, which is supplied by the people who come through the store, both the first-timers and the old timers. I'm glad I read it. If you are at all curious about the store or about the "through hiker" experience, you will probably find it worthwhile.

January 5, 2012

The new year has started out pretty cold. We've had one day of 15° with a killer wind chill - about minus 10° - and another with a little less wind. It seems we are headed for a warming trend, which is welcome. It has been pretty. The sunsets have been very beautiful, as they often are with the winter colors in the sky.

If you are at all worried about your pipes freezing - we had one of those in our neighborhood this week - it's a good idea to open up your sink cabinets, especially if they are on an outside wall. The upstairs bathroom is probably the number one cause of cabin floodings in my experience, because it can get pretty cold under the sink, even if the rest of the house is fairly warm. If you are at home, you can always run a thin stream of water at night, although I don't worry about that at my place until we get low into the single digits.

There isn't much wild excitement in town in January. In fact, the Chamber of Commerce doesn't have a single event listed for the month. The next fun thing is the "Fire & Ice" festival, which the Downtown Business Association created last year as something to liven up the slow season. That weekend happened to be very mild, but I think everyone was amazed at the huge turnout. So it is scheduled again for this year on February 18. This event features a chili cook off, live music, ice sculptures, and a skating rink in the downtown park. Last year, the chili cook off tasting was great, even if there wasn't enough prepared to satisfy the demand. I'm expecting there to be enough for everyone this year, so it should be an even better event.

My favorite thing to do at this time of year is winter hiking. We've made a little trip to Wayah Bald, which I've written up for my email newsletter. (It should go out next week.) And we've hit the Benton McKaye a couple of times. We visited the swinging bridge and the trail beyond with one of our Christmas guests, and we went out to the Blue Ridge WMA on FS 58 (off Doublehead Gap Road) the other day, and took the trail towards Springer Mountain. It has been years since I've been in there, perhaps because I had a very traumatic lost dog experience in that area. I was astonished at how beautiful the Three Forks area is today. That's where the Benton McKaye and the Appalachian Trail run together, at the confluence of Chester, Stover, and Long creeks (they form the Noontoola Creek). I'm planning to get out there again as soon as possible to check out the trail north from Three Forks, where there is supposed to be a nice waterfall that I haven't seen before.

December 23, 2011

We've had about and inch and a half of rain at our place in the past few days. Wednesday, it rained as hard as it can rain for about a half hour, and it did a lot of damage to my driveway.

I may not have another chance to post until after the new year, so best wishes for the holidays and a happy and prosperous new year!

December 16, 2011

Rainy old day. It's been warm, but overcast, for the past few days. The weekend is supposed to be nice, though.

The Silks for Less people, across from the co-op on East Main Street (in the old Mason Tractor building) are having a real going out of business sale, and I've heard there are some serious bargains. I usually don't talk about for profit businesses, but I thought I'd mention it in case this is anyone's cup of tea.

As far as I know, there's nothing doing in town that isn't always going on. I'm planning on a long hike this weekend, followed by a little "creative downtime."

December 10, 2011

We had a few snow flurries earlier in the week, but the ground was so warm that it really didn't cause any difficulties. Since then, the weather has been colder, but clear. The full moon is tonight, but it was really beautiful last night and early this morning, setting over the Big Frog Mountain.

There isn't much wild excitement in town in December, at least after Light Up Blue Ridge is over. I see that the VH/Blue Orleans Bistro is having the Rolling' Bones band for New Year's Eve. They are one of the outfits that played the Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival in September. Christy Lee's is having McElvis.

As long as the weather stays nice, I'd recommend taking a walk or a drive through the country. We've had a few solid freezes, and the landscape has taken on its full winter colors and textures.

December 5, 2011

We've had much warmer weather since the cold snap and are expecting some rain. At this point, just about all the leaves have fallen that are going to fall, and the landscape is looking like winter for the first time, especially after the hard freeze we had last week.

Light Up Blue Ridge was well attended as always, despite a kind of gray day. It didn't rain, though, and everyone seemed to enjoy the parade.

We had the first fire in the fireplace during the last cold spell. It's nice to have a fireplace, and it's something we haven't had before. There is something elemental about it - literally so if you believe the early Greek philosophers, who analyzed the basic elements as four, water, fire, air, and earth. Heraclites, the first "process" philosopher, chose fire as his metaphor for the world process. It is consumed, but in being consumed, gives off heat, so nothing is lost. So it serves as an image of the eternal process of the universe. Whether that's profound or simple, there's no denying that a fire encourages contemplation and creates contentment. It's also pretty nice to step outside and smell the sweet fragrance of oak in the air. It's one of the reasons I feel lucky to live here in the mountains.

November 23, 2011

We had a little less than an inch of rain at our place yesterday, and the weather is clearing, but colder. Best wishes to everyone for the holiday. We have a lot to be thankful for, and I hope that you do, too.

"Blue Friday," the downtown merchant's version of Black Friday, is scheduled for this Friday.

"Light up the Basin" is Friday evening in Copperhill. Festivities begin on the McCaysville side of the river with a lighting of the tree at the McCaysville branch of the United Community Bank at 6:00 PM. Carolers then process over to the BB&T bank in Copperhill, to light the Copperhill tree. Thence to the Miner's Park to light the Yule Tree, and finally to the Steel Bridge to light the wreath.

"Light Up Blue Ridge" has, of course, become a major event that brings thousands to Blue Ridge. It begins Saturday at 11:15 AM, with the arrival of Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus on the train. Photos with Santa will be in the gazebo from 12:00 - 3:00. The schedule for entertainment is: Tuba Christmas, 12:00 - 1:00, Center Point Dance Studio, 1:30, Lindsay Harper, 2:00, Studio One Dance, 2:30, Natti Love Joys, 3:00 - 4:00, Breaking Point, 4:00 - 5:00, Bartlee Norman & 64 Highway Band with Emily Grace, 5:00 - 6:00.

The lighting of the Great Tree - which is now a large, living tree - is at 6:00 PM.

I understand the ice sculptors will be returning, and the downtown shops will be open late.

Long time readers know that I'm something of a "map person" and I've just posted an update to my map recommendations. Those of you who get out into the big woods on more than a casual basis may be interested. I've pasted it below.

National Geographic Trails Illustrated Series

The forest service maps are still very useful. But the corresponding National Geographic Trails Illustrated Maps have improved on them in a few ways. For one thing, they name a lot of the local roads, which is a very helpful feature. For another, they provide additional information on the hiking trails, for instance by giving the mileage and rating the difficulty. I used to recommend that everyone carry the forest service maps, because they used to be the only ones that had the forest service road numbers. They are still very useful, but if you could only have one, I'd probably choose the National Geographic Maps. The information isn't exactly the same, but they have been revised a bit more recently than the forest service maps. I carry both, and I still use both when I'm in the field.

The map that corresponds to the forest service's "Cherokee National Forest, Southern District" is #781, "Tellico & Ocoee Rivers." This covers the Cherokee in the area immediately north of Georgia. There are two maps that correspond to the forest service's "Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia." "Springer & Cohutta Mountains, #777, covers the area closest to Blue Ridge. "Brasstown Bald & Chatooga River," #778, covers the area to the east, over to the South Carolina line. At this time (11/23/2011), these maps retail for $11.95 each. The Fannin County Chamber of Commerce, up behind the CVS, carries the Chattahoochee maps. There is also a bundle pack available, which Amazon has for $15.56. I'm not sure where the closest place to buy the Tennessee map would be. At any given time, the Bargain Barn in Jasper might have it, the forest service office in the Ocoee Gorge might have it, the Polk County News in Benton might have it, Benton Shooters Supply might have it, and Cherokee Corners Market, at the corner of 411 and 30, just south of the Hiwassee River, might also carry it. Of course, you can order it online from Amazon or National Geographic.

November 16, 2011

The weather has bounced back warm and rainy. We had breakfast on the porch this morning; the temperature was just about 60°. It was a little rainy on Monday, but it started drizzling pretty steadily yesterday. It hasn't rained very hard for very long, but we've gotten about 1-1/2" at our place so far.

Needless to say, the colors have continued to fade, and more leaves are coming down. We are probably at the point now where more than half the leaves are off the trees. The rest of our view is starting to come in - something I look forward to each fall - and it seems to be time to think about the winter things.

Fall has always been my favorite season, but I love them all here. A lot of my old friends can't understand why I'm here and not in a college town. But, of course, they haven't spent enough time here to know. If you grew up in and love the Appalachians as I do, this is just about a perfect setting. If you dropped me down in the Cohuttas, it would be hard for me to tell that I wasn't back home in Pennsylvania, somewhere in the northern tier. Except for the fact that we have more biodiversity - the northern limit of many southern species, and the southern limit of many northern species - it is very similar country. (Well, maybe there could be more grouse.) When winter comes, you have the beauty without some of the rigors, which makes it just about perfect.

Another reason I love the winters here is for the quiet. It used to be that everyone who didn't live here went went home after Thanksgiving. These days, the town really doesn't feel any different during the winter, but it is definitely quieter at home and in the woods. We've made the usual forays to some of the favorite book places - the Fannin Friends of the Library book sale, the Haysville Friends of the Library Bookstore (our favorite), and McKays over in Chattanooga - and we have a raft of interesting books laid up for winter reading. I've got a project or two in the workshop that I'm hoping to finish, and I even have ambitions of finally finishing my paper on the Kimsey Highway. We've got the woodpile well stocked with seasoned oak for those winter evenings around the fire. And, of course, we've put up quite a bit of produce from the Mennonite Farmer's Market over in Delano. (I'll bet I have about two pecks of various hot peppers - Italian, cherry, haberno, jalapeno - in the freezer.) So I'm looking forward to cooking some of the winter favorites. We do more hiking in the winter, and I want to get out and explore some the the favorite places. In other words, other folks will have to do the complaining. I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

November 15, 2011

In local news, the environmental health department is now charging $50 to determine the location of an existing septic system, which is being required as part of the permitting process for additions, garages, and similar structures over 250 square feet on less than two acres of land. This is in response to the fact that most folks have no idea where their septic field is located, and some have in the past built things over it. This isn't anything that the owner couldn't do him- or herself, by looking at the septic permit, of course, but most of them don't. So, as usual, the innocent are going to have to suffer along with the guilty.

In other local news, the county chairman has laid off eighteen people from the road department. These are, to my knowledge, the only actual layoffs that have occurred to date in the county government, although I think there have been a few cases of people leaving and not being replaced or people being reassigned to other positions. Without getting into anything controversial, this development has surprised some people who allege that the road department has long been a sacrosanct sinecure. (There has been some criticism of the department in the past, no doubt by people who don't appreciate all the hard work they do.) The chairman did say, apparently in justification of the move, that five were people who were already retired from another county position and were drawing social security. However that may be, I've heard some speculation that this may endanger the chairman's re-election prospects, because the support of the county employees has always been a key element in any campaign for chairman. (As one seasoned local political observer told me, "they vote, and all their relatives vote.") Objectively, the road department continues to have considerably more employees than comparable departments in surrounding counties, even allowing for the fact that Fannin has a paving crew and these other counties don't. So ... it will be interesting to see how all this plays out, come county election time.

November 11, 2011

It's a beautiful day, but much colder. We started out around the freeze, and are now close to 50°. If you still have winterization to do, it is high time.

There is still some color in the woods, but it is definitely fading. I think this has been the best, and longest, leaf season that we have had for some time. The deep reds, which I thought wouldn't come, finally came. There seemed to be more vibrant oranges than there usually are, and the yellows were spectacular as always. And, oddly, things seemed to come at different times. I have four hickory trees that are usually beautiful, but this year they all came at different times. In fact, one just came a day or two ago, when two others are long gone, and one other is mostly gone.

I'd guess that about half the leaves are down. I've blown leaves three times, and will probably do it again this weekend. The trees are bare enough to see the lay of the land, so it is time to come up if you are interested in looking at land. We still have a very large oversupply of land, and prices are better than I can remember for a long time, maybe as long as fifteen years. I've seen some incredible prices on some of the larger tracts.

I would still caution against buying some of those fantastically priced foreclosure lots in subdivisions that haven't any infrastructure in place. If the community water system isn't complete, there probably isn't enough acreage in most of those lots to get a private septic permit. Also, chances of the roads ever being paved are pretty low in most of those situations.

November 3, 2011

We're having a bit of rain today, but it is supposed to clear out by tomorrow and leave us with a beautiful weekend, with afternoons in the lower sixties.

I think the leaf color peaked in most areas last weekend. I'm not sure how hard it will rain today. It hasn't rained hard yet, but if it does, it will bring some of the leaves down. But I am still think there may be pretty good color - especially the yellows and oranges - this weekend. After this weekend, I think it will be mostly gone.

I was able to attend Halloween in the old downtown on Monday. I continue to be amazed by the number of people who show up for these downtown events. I was especially impressed because this was on a Monday, when the weekend folks aren't around. There were some really great costumes, on both adults and children, and it seemed to be a very popular event.

October 31, 2011

We've been having some beautiful fall weather, with mornings around the freeze and afternoons around sixty. The leaf color is still very strong. In fact, I think this is one of the best leaf seasons I can remember for a long time. We don't seem to have many real reds, but the oranges and various shades of yellow seem unusually vibrant this year. It's always a guessing game, but I expect to colors to remain good at least through this weekend.

It seems a bit early, but it is time for those winterizing chores. If you haven't been up for a while, remember that you may need to winterize outside faucets and move some things that shouldn't freeze - like paints and stains - inside.

It is also time to think about the fireplace. If you haven't gotten your woodpile in, it is high time. Remember not to put it too close to the cabin, or your termite man will have a fit, unless you move it before it gets warm. Before you make your first fire, it is a good idea to get a mirror and flashlight and take a look up the chimney to make sure there isn't any obstruction. If it looks real furry up there, it may be time to have the chimney swept. I do mine about every three years, but it depends a lot on how many fires you have and how well seasoned the wood is that you burn. I prefer to hire a sweep who works from the roof, because that way he can remove the spark arrestor and clean that as well.

The busy season is in full swing. I've returned from a few days out of the office to find it is a madhouse, with the last price adjustments being made before the winter comes, and very active buyer activity. That's the usual thing at this time of year, but we seem to be busier this fall than we have been for a long time.

October 17, 2011

We've been having some beautiful fall weather, after the rainy period last week. We got about an inch of rain at our place, but the last few days have been just perfect.

The leaf color seems to have peaked in our area - a little southeast of Mineral Bluff - but other areas don't seem to have much color yet. It is always very difficult to predict, but I'm expecting next weekend to be good. Whether it will last past that is anyone's guess at this point.

October 6, 2011

If there is such a thing as perfect weather, we're having it. Mornings have started out about 50° and risen into the low seventies, and the air has been dry and light. It's the kind of weather that just makes you glad to be alive. Or sorry to be working.

There are some trees beginning to change color here and there. There are some leaves on the ground already, but not enough to rake. I'm expecting an early leaf season, because the farmers seem to think we are about two weeks ahead of normal, but it is always difficult to predict.

Joe's Barbecue is open on the old highway in Blue Ridge in the old Indigo location, 3365 East 1st Street, 706.946.2727. They feature whole butts (for takeout), ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. It is owned by the former mortgage rep, Joe Ray, and I've been told the cue is good. I've also been told that he has wanted to open a barbecue for a long time, and I wish him the best of luck.

While we are on the subject of barbecue, the Taylor people have been serving their cue at the farmer's market near the drive-in theater.

We're in the middle of the fall festival season. Here's a rundown for the next couple of weekends.

Arts in the Park (downtown Blue Ridge), October 8 - 9.

Georgia Mountain Fair Fall Festival (Hiawassee), October 7 - 15.

Apple Festival (Ellijay), October 8 - 9, 15 - 16.

Cherry Log Festival, October 8 - 9.

Mountain Harvest Arts & Crafts (Blue Ridge Farmer's Market, next to drive-in theater on the old highway, October 15 - 16, 22 - 23.

Home Builder's Showcase (downtown Blue Ridge), October 15 - 16.

Gold Rush Days, Dahlonega, October 15 - 16.

September 29, 2011

We've had a little rain lately, and temperatures have been much cooler and wonderful. Yesterday and today, the weather was beautiful and looks fine through the weekend. If you haven't been up in a while, we are beginning to get on toward prime time, so you need to plan a trip soon.

We're into the fall festival season, and one of the best is coming up this weekend. The John C. Campbell Folk School's Fall Festival is October 1 & 2, Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 - 5:00. There will be over 200 craftspeople with items for sale including jewelry, woodturning, pottery, weaving, ironwork, photography, rugs, woodcarving, furniture, paintings, baskets, and other items. Live music and dance, food vendors, craft demonstrations and children's activities. Adults are $5, children 12 - 17 $3, and children under 12 free with adult. 1-800.folk-sch for more information. If you go, be sure to visit the crafts shop. This is a great place to buy Christmas presents. The Folk School is in Brasstown, NC. See the "Day Trips" section of my website for the back way from Blue Ridge, or you can go to Murphy and take 64 toward Haysville, looking for the signs and turnoff to Old Hwy. 64.

See below for information on the Hemlock Hike on Saturday.

September 17, 2011

It's a beautiful day today, but we've had a string of overcast days. Morning porch temperatures for the past two days have been 54°, and it has been quite humid. I'm sure the warmer weather will be back, but it does feel as though the seasons are changing.

There will be a Hemlock Hike on October 1. Details are below.

"HIKE & HELP FOR THE HEMLOCKS -- Saturday, October 1, 10am to 3pm, Benton MacKaye Trail in Cherry Log Mountain between Ellijay & Blue Ridge. Save Georgia's Hemlocks and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association are jointly sponsoring the event including a family-friendly hike through some beautiful woods, a picnic, a bit of learning, plenty of time to get to know other folks who care, and a chance to help some hemlocks along the way. Participants must register in advance and let us know if you want to hike and treat trees or just hike. Space is limited so register early. For more information or registration, call 706-429-8010 or e-mail donna@savegeorgiashemlocks.org."

September 13, 2011

The Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival was a big success, although I think it would have drawn a much bigger crowd if it had been advertised a little better and if it hadn't been scheduled the weekend after Labor Day. The sound and production were outstanding, the music was good, and the overall scene had a very nice vibe. Comments from the long-term residents ran heavily toward "I never thought I'd see the day." For instance, that the county chairman could be seen standing in front of the courthouse with a beer in his hand.

I had some real estate business to do, so I missed the first band, Frankie's Blues Mission. The second band, a trio out of Todd, North Carolina, the King Bees, played a great set. The bass player laid down a very sassy, rockabilly inflected blues groove while singing some nice originals, and the lead guitar work was excellent. Francine Reed played with the Rollin' Bones, which was - for her - a pickup band. She played a pretty short set, perhaps because they hadn't had a chance to rehearse (a couple of times, she stopped the band to get them to count it her way). But there's no doubt that she put on an awesome show - there were about fifty people dancing in front of the bandstand. The last outfit, the Blacktop Blues Band, had a very together sound. Unfortunately, the crowd had thinned out a whole lot by then. (I imagine that 11:00 is just a little too late for most of Blue Ridge.)

One of the highlights for me was that Sam Huff brought his Lost Mountain Barbecue contest rig up from Atlanta, and served his great barbecue, doing business as Sam's BBQ1. I met Sam some years ago at a contest over in Dillard with my friend Doug Faber, three-time state pork champ, and we talked quite a bit that day. I knew Sam is an attorney in Atlanta and has a well-known restaurant there. But I didn't know he's had a cabin here for years and is hoping to retire up here and open a restaurant. I sure hope he does it, because it would be a great thing for Blue Ridge. When people who know barbecue see the contest trophies, they don't have to ask any questions, and the line was about a block long at his booth for hours. One thing that I especially appreciated was that he brought along enough pork, because we wanted to eat late, after Francine's set.

Sam wasn't the only food vendor. There were other barbecue vendors, including Taylor's and the Blue Orleans folks, who were slinging alligator ribs and grilled oysters. The shrimp tacos looked awfully good at Avalon Catering, and Sam himself told me to go over and try Harvest's brisket. He said he told Danny (Mellman) that he ought to come out to some of the contests, it was that good. And those were only a few of the food vendors.

The Sweetwater was ice cold, and - of course - excellent. (At least, that's what I've been told. I never drink anything stronger than Moxie myself, out of respect for the local shamans.) There was a problem with that, because the beer tent was across the tracks from the stage due to local regulations preventing service within a certain distance of a church, and you couldn't carry the beer across the tracks to the stage. Over at the beer tent, you could hear the music, but you couldn't feel it, and you have to feel the blues. In other words, the folks at the beer tent might have had a good time, but they missed the best part. I'm sure the organizers had very good reasons for setting up the festival they way they did. But I think it might be a better idea to either change the ordinance to exempt festivals - a likely non-starter - or set up a temporary stage across Depot Street from the train station or another location that would allow the people who were listening to the music to have a beer. That way, the festival wouldn't have been Balkanized by the railroad tracks, and people could have circulated with a lot more freedom and a lot less hassle.

I think it was a real eye-opener for the people who were in town for the first time, drawn by the event. Pretty near everyone I talked to said, "This is great, I sure hope it will become an annual event."

One thing that puzzled me was that the Legend didn't make the scene, despite his offhand ability to clock out of work, tear through South Georgia in the middle of the night, hit a remote trailhead at dawn, and be seen in all the hip places at night. What can I say, Ledge? You missed a landmark event, a real high water mark for Blue Ridge.

September 8, 2011

Temperatures have been much cooler in the aftermath of all the rain. We had 56° on the porch this morning, and I expect temperatures to remain cooler for at least the next few days. It may be that all this will kick us into an early fall, but that remains to be seen. I haven't heard any reports of flooding, but the creeks are definitely high in places.

This Saturday is the BBQ & Blues Festival in downtown Blue Ridge, which is headlined by Francine Reed. I'm told that they expect to put her on at 7:00 or 7:30, but I'm not sure that information is accurate. Francine is best known as one of Lyle Lovett's backup singers, but in Atlanta, she is known for her many appearances at Blind Willie's. I'm looking forward to hearing her. The hours on the poster say 3:00 - 11:00, and I'm told the music will start about 3:30. There will be a beer tent, and admission will be $5. Other bands will be the Blacktop Blues Band, Frankie's Blues Mission, and the King Bees. Roger "Hurricane" Wilson will play between sets.

I'd have to say that this festival is one of the most exciting things that's ever happened in Blue Ridge. We seem to be reaching a completely different level than we've achieved before, with the Arts Association determined to become one of the top art communities in the country, the emergence of a vibrant downtown restaurant scene, and new festivals and events like the Chili Cookoff and this one. As someone who has been around for over twenty-five years now, I can recall only a handful of times when we've had a nationally known act perform here. Years ago, Travis Tritt played a date at the BYOB club that was on the old highway just east of Dry Branch Road. (It was shut down shortly afterwards, and is now an archery store, I believe.) Mustang Sally played the lounge at the Chinese restaurant in the Ingles center last year, and I've heard rumors of some less-publicized events there with nationally known performers from my friend, the Largo Legend. The Natti Love Joys have played a number of times at local events. But ... this festival really is a first for Blue Ridge, and something of a high water mark so far. We've always had really great bluegrass, but it would be wonderful if we could continue to present other musics in a festival setting, because the downtown park is a perfect venue. I give a lot of credit to the group of downtown merchants we have now, as well as to our new mayor, Donna Whitener, who is herself a downtown merchant. We seem to be headed in a new and promising direction, and I think it means good things for Blue Ridge.

September 6, 2011

We had a little over 4.8 inches of rain at our place over the past two days. I'm sure there's some damage to steeper gravel roads and drives, but - so far - we haven't had any tornados or the high winds that were expected this morning.

September 1, 2011

So, it's September. I always have mixed feelings at this time of year. I'm looking forward to fall, because it has been my favorite season ever since I was a boy in the Pennsylvania mountains. But I'm also regretful that summer is almost over, because I always feel that I didn't have enough fun. It has been a hot summer, although not as hot as last summer, and I think most folks are ready for some cooler weather. All in all, it does feel like the season has turned, and fall is definitely on its way. The leaves are starting to turn in places, and some have already fallen. The katydids are mating like crazy. And the hummingbirds are coming through.

The real mountain festival season doesn't come until October, but the Labor Day Barbecue is this Monday, September 5, and it is usually a whole lot of fun. The BBQ is over thirty years old and is an interdenominational benefit for the Good Samaritans of Fannin County. Aside from the time a few years ago when someone took the "interdenominational" part a little too literally and let a woman preach, everything has worked out pretty well. That one time, some of the elect took umbrage and refused to help at the last minute, but we're all over that now, I hope.

The event begins with a worship service and ice cream social the night before at 6 PM in the downtown park. The barbecue itself begins on Monday at 11:30 and runs until 6:00, or until the food runs out, which it probably will. The menu is ribs, chicken, or pork sandwich with baked beans, no mayonnaise slaw, pickles, ice tea and dessert. It helps to have tickets in advance, because the ticket line can be long. You can get them at the Chamber of Commerce up behind the CVS. You have to know what everyone in your party wants, as the tickets are differently priced - $10 for ribs, $9 for chicken, and $8 for the sandwich.

There is lots of music planned, including bluegrass by Borrowed Time, the River Park Bluegrass Band, and the Cartecay River Band. Other groups include Caylor Family, Hogsed Brothers, Victory's Song, and the Blue Ridge Dulcimer Festival.

Don't forget about the BBQ and Blues Festival in the park on September 10, which is being headlined by the great Francine Reed. See below for more details.

August 25, 2011

The weather has been very nice for the past couple of days - not too hot, with mornings that make you think of fall. We've been up later than usual the past few evenings, and the katydids have been mating like crazy after about 10:00. It's fun to watch them fly around because they fly in a somewhat ungainly way. I really love those little guys, and it's nice to know that they're having a good time at our place.

I was talking to one of my friends today, and he reminded me that some of the late, lamented Meyer's German Bakery products have reappeared at the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. I don't think I've mentioned that before, so here's a little information on the market:

"Blue Ridge Farmer's Market, West Main Street across from the Fannin County Courthouse. Local farmers set up with their crops for sale, farm fresh eggs, produce etc.... also locally made products and crafts. Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Vendors pay $3.00 for market space and they set their own prices for the items they sell. Email contact: Linee2@tds.net. Vendors contact 706-258-4552."

August 22, 2010

The weather has gotten a little warmer, but we had a nice shower at our place last night. It dropped a little over 1/10" of rain, and it was much appreciated as it has been too dry lately.

The TVA is evidently draining the lake already. When we went to swim at Morganton Point on Sunday, the water was about ten feet further away from the parking area than it was a few days ago. The good news is that fishing reports on the Toccoa tailrace continue to be better than we expected, given the trout mortality caused by the deep drawdown of the lake for repairs to the penstock.

The gray squirrels are cutting like crazy in the oak trees on our property, so they must be getting ripe. I'm hopeful that it will be a good mast crop this year, which would help just about everything in the woods. I'm starting to see some leaves turn and some come down. I've also seen what looks like some serious damage to the dogwoods from the week or two of very dry weather that we've had lately.

There still isn't much wild excitement in town, as we are still waiting for the fall festival season to begin. It is a good time to come up and hang out, or to take a quiet walk in the woods before fall sets in. The next event on my personal calendar is the Blue Ridge Blues & Barbecue Festival on September 10th. (See below for more details.)

August 18, 2011

The weather has stayed a lot cooler, with some mornings as low as 60, and afternoon temperatures no higher than 80. It feels as though the seasons are changing, which is a welcome feeling, although I'm sure it will bounce back warm before we are into fall for good.

I saw a Great Snowy Egret soaring over Cutcane Road yesterday, which is a definite first. I don't know what he was doing there, but you couldn't miss him!

August 10, 2011

We're still having router problems, but I'm hopeful that this email will sneak through the system and make it to my website.

It was a beautiful, cool morning with the mist rising from the valley and the coves above the valley. The air feels a little lighter today, bringing a welcome foretaste of fall, after some weather that most of us felt was a little warmer than usual.

There's an upcoming event that I'm excited about, the Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival on September 10. That's a month away, but you might want to mark your calendar. It will be headlined by the great Francine Reed and the Rolling Bones. Francine is best known nationally as one of Lyle Lovett's backup singers. In Atlanta, she is known for her appearances at Blind Willie's, the blues club in Virginia Highlands. There will be a beer tent, and admission with be $5. Other bands will be the Blacktop Blues Band, Frankie's Blues Mission, and the King Bees.

August 1, 2011

We had about 4/10" of rain on Thursday, and the temperatures have been a little cooler since then, which is very welcome.

There isn't a lot of wild excitement at this time of year, as there is sort of a lag before the fall festival season starts. There is one event this weekend that might appeal to youngsters, the Smokey Bear birthday party at the Whitewater Center. Here's the official announcement:

Smokey Bear's Birthday Party
Ocoee Whitewater Center in Ducktown, TN

Highway 64 West, Copperhill
Smokey Bear will be 67 years old this year. In his honor, the USDA Forest Service is throwing a birthday party at the Ocoee Whitewater Center on August 6th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Come help Smokey celebrate his birthday and enjoy a fun-filled day in the Cherokee National Forest. It promises to be a fun family day with games, goody bags, fire prevention programs, prizes, and plenty of cake and ice cream. Bring a camera and have your picture taken with Smokey. While you’re at the Ocoee Whitewater Center, you may want to hike or bike the Old Copper Road Trail, watch rafting on the Ocoee River, visit the gift shop, grab a bite at the café, or just take in the scenery from the rocking chairs on the deck. There is no charge to attend other than the usual $3.00 per vehicle day use fee. The Ocoee Whitewater Center is located in the heart of the Cherokee National Forest on U.S. Hwy 64, 6 miles west of Ducktown, TN and 30 miles east of Cleveland, TN.

July 26, 2011

We had a nice thunderstorm yesterday evening that dropped about a half inch of rain at our place. It was very welcome, as it was getting a bit dry in the woods. The unseasonably hot and humid weather seems to be continuing, but it has been an enjoyable summer for me because the frequent thunderstorms remind me of the weather pattern that was typical here some years ago.

I saw two hen turkey with chicks on Sunday, when I was out showing property. The chicks were about as small as they can be and still get around, and that surprised me a little, as I see most of the chicks in the spring and early summer. What didn't surprise me is that there were only four or five chicks. I don't think a coyote can do much with an adult turkey - they roost in trees at night - but I believe they are a very serious threat to the chicks before they are able to fly. I don't know if a coyote would be fooled by the broken wing routine that the hens use to try to distract predators. I saw a pretty savvy bird dog fooled completely by it one day, but I'm pretty sure that was her first experience with it. I doubt a coyote would be fooled, and since they often hunt in small packs, I doubt even more that all of them would be fooled. In that situation, the chicks are defenseless, except that they try to conceal themselves in the grass or underbrush.

I saw a nice, healthy buck today with antlers in still in velvet. He was on the edge of the Gorilla Haven property, so I wouldn't be surprised if he is getting some leftovers - or better - from the animal lovers there.

I saw a beautiful cecropia silkmoth on Saturday, while out showing property. I was at a cabin that was built by Danny Stevens, which was kind of interesting to me, as a friend of mine has the exact same cabin in Toccoa River Forest, and it has always been a favorite of mine, with truly beautiful wood and finish carpentry. The cabin is sited in a dark cove on a dry branch, and someone had left the light on by the back basement door, under the deck and out by the condensing unit. That apparently attracted the moth, and I got good looks at him as he hung there. I turned the light off when I left, to encourage him to get back to the woods.

The Georgia Mountain Fair is winding up this weekend. See below for more details.

July 21, 2011

My apologies to my regular readers for the absence of my usual postings for the past little while. We had a router problem in the office that prevented me from posting, but it seems to be resolved now. I do appreciate all your emails letting me know that you miss the column. They make me feel I'm doing something worthwhile. As always, feel free to email me if there are any questions I can answer.

It has been rather dry, and has been hot and humid for the past couple of days. Yesterday felt hotter than any day we've had this year, and I'm hopeful that we will get some rain before too long to moderate conditions.

The Georgia Mountain Fair is on this week. See the column below for some more information.

July 15, 2011

It has continued to rain off and on, and it is unusually humid for this time of year. Every week for the past few, the forecast has been for a certain percentage of thunderstorms, as far out as you look. We've had about 9/10" of rain in the past week. This is a real change from what we've had for the past few years. It's a lot more like what we used to have in the summer, twenty or more years ago.

The news on the lake is pretty good. While we are not at full pool, there is enough water in the lake for recreational activities, including swimming at the beach at Morganton Point. It would be nice if the water would come up a little bit more, but at this point, we aren't very far behind.

The bad news is that the penstock is still not functional. (The penstock is the pipe that carries water to the turbines.) Apparently, the humid weather has caused a problem with the sealant used on the penstock liner, and it is not yet cured to the proper hardness. The hope was that it would be back online before the weather got too hot, because the water that is drawn through the penstock comes from deep in the lake, and is colder than what is now being released. This helps keep the tailrace cold enough for the trout. Trout become seriously stressed at 70° and the water at Horseshoe Bend is approaching that temperature. The TVA is trying to help by running more water than usual down the river, but we all hope that the penstock will come online soon. If you haven't heard, the fishing in the tailrace has been much better than we expected this summer. I think it is fair to say that it isn't back to normal, but it is a whole lot better than expected, and some good fish are being caught.

Now that we are a little further into the summer, the katydids are out in force. I'm not sure I can ever remember them being louder. At times, it has even been a little bit difficult to carry on a quiet conversation on the porch.

The Georgia Mountain Fair starts next week in Hiawassee, and runs from July 20 to July 30. If you've never been, it is well worth going. The exhibit halls - which include a restored one-room schoolhouse - are fascinating. There are also dozens of vendors, demonstrations of old mountain crafts, and musical performances at the Anderson Music Hall, which has finally been air conditioned. Bluegrass day is Thursday July 28, and other performers include Ronnie McDowell, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, and the Atlanta Rhythm Section. For more information, 706.896.4191.

June 30, 2011

I'm happy to report that the katydids have started to sing. I didn't hear them last night when I lay down in the hammock, but when I got up at 10:30, there was a small contingent singing sweetly I imagine that the rain we've had recently brought them out.

The blackberries as still not doing well where we are, but I'm hopeful that other areas of the county have a bumper crop.

Lots of Fourth of July stuff.

On Friday, July 1st, fireworks being at dark in McCaysville, on Tater Hill.

The Old Timey Parade starts in Blue Ridge, Saturday, 10 AM. The Roxie Watson Band will play for two hours following the parade in the downtown city park.

At the marina, barbecue at noon, live music at 4 PM and fireworks at dark. As usual, Morganton Point is a great place to see the fireworks, as it is right across the lake from the marina.

Ducktown is also on July 2nd. Pancake breakfast at 8 AM at the Hoist House at the Ducktown Basin Museum and a community walking parade on Main Street at 10 AM. Annual Duck Race at noon. Gospel music in the afternoon. Fireworks at 9:30 PM.

Epworth is on July 4th. At 8 AM is the Pancake Breakfast at the Epworth Community Club. Other activities until 3 PM.

June 22, 1011

I was in Atlanta yesterday and found out personally what everyone is saying about how hot it is down there. When I left Buckhead, my car thermometer read 98. When I got back home to the porch, we had 84. It still felt a bit warm, but it sure wasn't anywhere near as hot.

The fishing on the Toccoa continues to be a bit better than anyone expected, and that's good news.

There isn't much wild excitement in town until the big weekend, so I'd suggest getting out in the woods or onto a stream for a little quiet enjoyment. Cooler, too. If you aren't on my email newsletter list, I just featured a trip to the fish hatchery, with full directions. I'll be glad to forward it to you if you missed it.

June 18, 2011

The weather has continued delightfully cooler, and I've heard many positive comments from folks who have just some up from Atlanta about how wonderful the weather is, compared to home. We had another 9/10" of rain at our place on Wednesday, and that was very welcome.

The rhodendron is starting to bloom south of Blue Ridge and Blairsville. It's time for everyone to grab those cameras. There's no better time to photograph the county.

I'm starting to get requests for the famous recipe, so the blackberries must be ripe somewhere, even though ours aren't quite ready yet. So ... in an attempt to head off the fifty or so additional emails I'll get if it isn't up soon enough, here it is!

THE FAMOUS BLACKBERRY MARGARITA RECIPE

2 cups berries
2 cups ice cubes (optional)
½ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup white tequila
¼ cup sugar (white or raw)

There's two ways to go. if your blender will crush ice, you can wash the berries and freeze them solid, omit the ice, buzz in the blender, and end up with something the consistency of a very solid frozen margarita. Delightful, so long as you don't mind the seeds.

If you are in a hurry, you can wash the berries and go with the ice. (If it isn't cold enough, you may need to put in the freezer briefly.) With this alternative, it helps if the tequila is already in the freezer. With this version, you can strain the seeds, if you want, after you buzz the berries (they tend to fall to the bottom of the glass, anyway). Add the other ingredients. Either buzz it again with the ice or serve it on the rocks.

Yes, it does need all that lime to taste like a margarita. And, yes, you may want to scant the sugar some and adjust to taste, as berries differ in sweetness. But I usually find this is about the right amount of sugar.

Either way, enjoy!

I had to go down Hwy 60 yesterday, and I noticed that Martin's Dixie Depot, the hunting and fishing store between the Benton McKaye Trail crossing and the road to the fish hatchery appeared to be closed. If you are headed to Rock Creek to fish, there is a bait shop at the Amoco station at 515 and 60, and the Cooper Creek Store, a few miles further down 6o, is still open.

Despite the assurances we've heard from the local politicians, the funding for the fish hatchery is still very much endangered. The Chattahoochee hatchery, our local facility, operates on a yearly budget of about a million dollars, and returns something like $37 million to the local economy. This is a clear case of misplaced budget priorities. Here's what Trout Unlimited urges its members to send to their representatives:

"I am writing as a member of Trout Unlimited (TU), a conservation organization of over 140,000 members, to urge you to ensure that funding is provided for the mitigation hatcheries of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the FY 12 budget. These facilities provide a wealth of recreational fishing and youth education opportunities, and support thousands of jobs.

In its FY12 budget proposal, the FWS proposed a $11 million cut to the National Fish Hatchery System, and a $6 million cut to the National Fish Hatchery operations account for the mitigation hatchery system. There are 9 mitigation hatcheries nationwide at risk, 7 of which are in the Southeast.

The problem is that the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and other dam operating federal agencies are not contributing enough of their shares of the hatchery operating expenses for the FWS hatcheries that provide fish to mitigate the effects of their water development structures. The best way to solve this problem is for Congress to ensure that the Corps, TVA and other dam operating agencies to pay their fair share of the hatchery operations costs. If those agencies fail to pay all, or a portion of the costs, then TU urges Congress to supply the Fish and Wildlife Service with the remainder to keep the facilities running.

These hatcheries provide valuable recreational fisheries. The mitigation facilities help to provide over 3,000 jobs and account for $325 million in economic benefits to local communities and states. I urge you to work with the Appropriations committee to ensure that funding is made available for FY12 to keep the facilities running."

I'm a member, so I'm not sure, but I think anyone can go to Trout Unlimited's website, visit the Action Center, and send this message on to Washington, with appropriate additional comments, of course.

June 14, 2011

The weather has been a little cooler, and we finally got some much needed rain, about 6/10" at our place. That's a relief, because everything down in the woods was looking pretty stressed.

There are lots of activities planned for the weekend of the 4th of July, so things are kind of quiet until then. I'd suggest a walk in the woods, or something similar. I'm doing a story on the fish hatchery - in part to call attention to the threatened budget cuts - and if anyone who isn't on my email newsletter list would like to visit the facility, I'd be glad to email the story.

This weekend is a hemlock clinic in Blue Ridge. See below for details.

June 8, 2011

The weather has continued unseasonably warm and dry. At this point we need rain, especially because the blackberries are about to come. The days have been beautiful, ideal for lazy summer activities, but pretty warm if there's real work to do.

There is a hemlock clinic coming up in Blue Ridge June 18th. It seems every tree in North America is under attack from some parasite, and the hemlock is in especially bad shape, with virtually every untreated hemlock in the southeast expected to die without treatment. If yours have white stuff on the branches that looks like you sprayed it with fake snow, you've got the disease. It is much cheaper to treat them than to cut them down and haul them away. Here's the official announcement, from Save Georgia's Hemlocks:

Hello Hemlock Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know Save Georgia's Hemlocks will present a
Hemlock Help Clinic -- free and open to the public.

10 AM SATURDAY, JUNE 18

FANNIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
152 ORVIN LANCE DR IN BLUE RIDGE (behind the CVS)

* What's threatening our hemlocks
* How you can treat your own trees for the lowest possible cost or qualified
local professionals who can help you for reasonable rates
* Updates on what's happening on our public lands
* How you can help the efforts to save the hemlocks

Please share this announcement with your friends, neighbors, and business
associates through any e-mail lists, newsletters, bulletin boards, or web
sites you have access to.

Thanks, and hope you can come!

Donna Shearer
Chairman, Save Georgia's Hemlocks
706-429-8010

May 24, 2011

The weather has continued beautiful and warm, but dry. At this point, I'm hoping for some rain for the sake of the vegetation, which got off to a good start with the rain earlier this spring. Everything has had such a tough time recovering after the extended drought, and I still see a lot of things dying or dead down in the woods. It seems every tree in North America is under attack from some parasite, and I estimate that the total vegetation in our woods is perhaps 30% less than when I first came twenty-five years ago. So ... cue the rainmaker. Before or after the big weekend, of course.

We had a real thrill the other night when we let the dog out for the last time. A Tulip-tree silkmoth came to the spotlights. Apparently, they are apt to do that, especially during their mating season. This is a moth that is actually bigger than a Polphemus, with a wingspan of 8 - 11 cm (3-1/8 - 4-5/16"). Judging from the field guide, I think we had a male. We got really good looks at him, especially when he lighted on the porch screen. The caterpillar looks a bit like a tomato hornworm without the horns, and feeds on the Yellow Poplar. It raised my hopes of seeing a Luna Moth again, although I usually have seen those very late at night.

I'm also hearing the call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo quite often these days, but I haven't gotten a look at one this year.

Arts in the Park is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and the newspaper reports that the organizers are expecting 15,000 people! Apparently the vendor count is down just a bit, to about 180, but it is still going to be a huge festival. Admission is $5, and there will be food vendors, music, and other things to do. Along with a lot of what my mother used to call "people watching."

May 21, 2011

We've been having perfect weather after that little cold snap. The air has been light and the evenings have just been beautiful. The laurel has started to bloom in some locations around the county, which is always a favorite time for photographs.

My car has been in the shop for over a week with mysterious ailments, so I'm a little out of the loop. But I do know that Arts in the Park is next weekend, May 28 & 29. This is the 35th annual event, which has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Events by the Southeastern Tourism Society. Seriously, it is huge, with over 200 vendors, music, and lots of other things. Admission is $5.

May 10, 2011

The weather has bounced back warm, and we've been having some wonderful evenings on the porch, listening to the night sounds.

There is one particular night sound that has been puzzling us for the last week or so. At this time of year, we are used to hearing the Whip-poor-wills calling from the meadow below the cabin. It's one of the many things we look forward to with the coming of spring. Lately, though, we've been hearing what sounds like a Whip-poor-will calling from the trees around our cabin. I was even more puzzled when we spooked it one night, and it flew across the parking lot. It was very dark, but I could see that this bird was a lot bigger than a Whip-poor-will. When I finally took a look in Sibley's field guide, the answer seemed obvious, a Chuck-will's-widow. This is a bird I've never heard of before, in the same family as the Whip-poor-will (goatsuckers, nightjars). It is in fact considerably bigger than the Whip-poor-will and has a similar call, with an odd characteristic - a sharp click before the notes that sound a lot like the Whip-poor-will's. Both of us had heard this characteristic click, but we thought that we had simply never been close enough to hear it before.

So I suppose that's one of about a million local mysteries solved. I hope the next one will be whether the frog-like call the Chuck-will's-widow is also supposed to make is the one we are hearing around dusk that we previously thought was a tree frog. Or identifying a few more of the hundreds of insects that we see every day, like the impossibly small wasps that occasionally fetch up inside the porch screen. I'm not sure that it matters if I really can identify all these things, but I am grateful that I still care enough about them to pay attention and take time to drink them in and wonder about them. Our area is supposed to have more biological diversity than almost anywhere, because it is the northernmost range of many southern species and the southernmost range of many northern species. So I probably never will get to the bottom of it all, and that's a big part of why I find it so wonderful to live here.

May 6, 2011

We're having a little bit of what you could call blackberry winter, except that the blackberries aren't really on the vine yet. They are just beginning to flower. But the weather has been perfect for hiking in the woods. I've been doing that in the early morning, and I can report that it has made the dog and me very happy.

By my reckoning, it is the end of spring, because the native azalea has come and gone. The next thing will be the laurel and rhodendron, but I consider that summer.

The good news is that the lake is refilling ahead of schedule because of the spring rains. Last time I checked, we had about 25 feet to go, which is pretty good, given that we had a deficit of about 60 feet not too long ago.

There's not much wild excitement in town this weekend, so I suggest getting out in the woods or going fishing. A lot of people are looking forward to the end of the delayed harvest on the upper Toccoa (May 15), and reports on the fishing in the tailrace have been more encouraging than I expected. If you want to take the kids, Rock Creek, out by the fish hatchery off Hwy 60 south, is usually a good choice..

April 28, 2011

We missed the really bad weather last night, although nearby Polk County, Tennessee didn't fare as well from what I've heard. We had high winds, and there are a few trees down, but it wasn't the worst wind that we've had this spring.

The native azalea (the orange, or flame azalea) has started to bloom. That's the last significant native to come in the spring. There are still some dogwoods in bloom, although a lot of blossoms have been lost because of the rain. We still have a lady slipper in bloom out behind the cabin. Yesterday, I saw a bird I've never seen at our place before, a male Black and White Warbler in mating plumage. I'm the worst at identifying warblers, but I happened to have Sibley nearby and time enough to find the bird. I've also been having a good time watching the nuthatches, which we seem to have more of this year than in a long time.

I've talked about the Phat Boys Barbecue on Loving Road, which is now closed. I'm not sure what happened to them, but it doesn't seem to have been lack of business.

This weekend is one of my favorite local events, the Polk County Ramp Festival. We plan to visit after we visit the Mennonite Farmer's Market in Delano, which is open already. The market is located just north of Benton, Tennessee on 411, about an hour and fifteen minutes from Blue Ridge. After you cross the Hiwassee River, look for the sign immediately on the left. The ramp festival is held at the 4-H Camp on 315, the road that goes up to Reliance from Parksville Lake off Hwy 64, west of the Ocoee Gorge. For better directions and more details on the festival, see my column for April 17, 2009, and for the farmer's market, see my column for June 5, 2009.

April 14, 2011

It's high spring in the mountains. We've had a little rain, but we've mostly had beautiful weather, with cool mornings and warm afternoons. The dogwoods are in bloom and the trees are leafing out nicely. If you haven't been up this spring, this weekend might be a good choice.

April 6, 2011

There are some dogwoods in bloom throughout the county, and I'm expecting more to come by the weekend with the nice weather we are having today.

We had a very severe thunderstorm Monday evening at our place. Unfortunately, it hit about 9:45 in the middle of the first half of the NCAA final game. Both of the EMCs that serve our county have been trimming their right-of-ways much more severely in the past few years, and I think that helped us this winter. Despite that, some pine trees came down and took out the power lines going into our development. The power stayed down for almost 24 hours, which is unusual for us, especially when there isn't snow complicating things. Others waited longer than we did. We didn't lose any shingles, and there weren't tons of trees down everywhere, but there were some trees down in places all over the county. If you don't have neighbors to check for you, you might want to get up and check your place. The wind came mostly out of the southwest, but some trees fell basically north-south. The weather service said that the center of the storm was about 17 miles south of Morganton, and that there was some rotation. At our place, the rain gauge said we got 1-6/10" rain.

We ate barbecue at Phat Boys BBQ last night and had an good meal. See the March 28 column for details. I discovered that they have good french fries - in my opinion, a plus in a cue shack - and they have added a mustard sauce to their selection of sauces. I always think it is smart for barbecue places to have a choice, as people seem to be very loyal to the style of sauce they grew up with. Phat Boys offer Williamson Brothers out of the bottle, and four or five of their own homemade sauces. They have a good North Carolina vinegar sauce (no tomato), and several others with tomato. I think my favorite is "Sweet Heat," which is the hottest to my taste.

This Saturday is the Adventure Race. The finish will be at the Arts Center in downtown Blue Ridge, and the race will coincide with the Arts Center's Plein Air Art Event, which brings artists from thoughtout the area to paint in the fresh air. The finish will probably begin between noon and 1:00 PM and go on for several hours. Spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. It's usually a pretty good time. This is the 14th annual event, which features about 75 three-person coed teams. The Natti Love Joys, our local reggae outfit, will be playing again this year. These guys are the real thing - Jatti is from Kingstown, and Marla is from Brixton, England - and it is always great to hear them. They have a well deserved international reputation and always sound great in the park.

April 1, 2011

The sarvis is still in bloom in many locations. The dogwoods are ready to bloom, and some may come this weekend, but I haven't seen any in bloom as of Friday morning.

March 28, 2011

We had a nice late night/early morning thunderstorm on Saturday that left us with 2-1/2 inches of rain in the gauge. Sunday was mostly just cloudy, but we've had another 1/2 inch already today (Monday).

Sunday, I saw something I can't recall ever seeing before, a very thick covering of clouds on the North Carolina mountains so low that it looked like a very heavy snow, with cabins poking out here and there. It looked almost as if it had been poured over the top third of the mountains. I have no idea what causes this phenomenon, but I do know that it doesn't happen every day.

We seem to be a good two weeks ahead of last year's spring. The rain knocked most of the blossoms off the sarvis trees that bloomed early, but there are still some beautiful trees in bloom that came a little later. There are some dogwoods on my ridge that are almost ready to bloom, and I expect that these will be in bloom by the end of the week, if we get any sun. Others are further behind, so I expect the dogwoods to be in flower for the next few weeks. The heavy pollen hasn't started, but I don't think it will be long before it does.

There is a new barbecue on Loving Road, Phat Boys BBQ. They have been open for a couple of weeks in the old Shepherd's General Store location, just north of the intersection of 515 and Loving Road, about six miles east of Blue Ridge. Their pulled pork is reminiscent of Bubba's (in Ivy Log) - dark and smoky. It has a great aroma. They have an interesting vinegar cole slaw that I like very much, and they also serve hamburgers and deli sandwiches using Boar's Head products. The owners are Duane Medford and Richard Graham, who tell us that they are using mostly white oak in the smoker. They are open Tuesday through Saturday 9 AM to 7 PM. On Friday and Saturday evening, they serve a special of Baby Back Ribs from 5 PM until they sell out. 706.374.1122.

March 21, 2011

The sarvis bloomed along with the redbuds at my place last Friday, the 18th. That's a few weeks earlier than last year. The sarvis is the earliest native shrub to blossom, showing a white cross-shaped flower. It is used for altar decorations locally if it is in bloom on Easter and the dogwood is not. A lot of people confuse it with dogwood, which it resembles at a distance, but it always blossoms well ahead of the dogwood. There is a very large, mature tree - maybe 60 feet tall - around the corner from me, and it just started to bloom today. Others in the neighborhood have not come yet, so I imagine it will be in bloom in various places through the weekend. Unfortunately, the blossoms don't last long.

See the column for March 8 for some things to do this coming weekend.

March 14, 2011

We had a mostly beautiful and warm weekend, although clouds started to move in Sunday afternoon. The Bartlett pears are in bloom on my ridge, and the trees are budding out nicely. No sign of the sarvis so far.

This year turkey season comes in again with trout, on March 26. The mountain turkey aren't always into the mating season when opening day arrives, but I think they will be this year. We've already heard some turkey talk from the porch, and on Saturday I saw an obviously lovelorn gobbler standing right in the middle of Lowery Road at 10:15 AM. This guy had about a four inch beard, and he seemed a little confused about his options. Finally, he flew a little way over across Long Creek, stood there a while thinking about what to do, and started to run up the hill. Obviously, this is not normal gobbler behavior.

If you are planning to be in the woods on opening day, be aware that turkey hunters may also be in the woods. Owl and crow calls - especially if they seem real bogus - are a sure sign of hunters. If you hear turkey talk, be aware that it may be being made by a hunter. It is best not to wear purple during turkey season.

See the column for March 8 for some interesting events this coming weekend.

March 10, 2011

We've had five inches of rain at our place this week. The creeks are swollen, but I haven't heard any reports of flooding. It would be nice to think that all this rain is refilling the lake, but the TVA is still running the rainwater out. I imagine this means that hopes are fading for the lake filling back up anytime soon.

The Bartlett pear trees that folks have planted on my ridge are almost ready to blossom out and join the forsythia, which is already in bloom.

I had some time for myself Tuesday evening, which I spent on the porch, doing something people don't seem to do much anymore - watching it get dark. The area around my cabin isn't as wild as it was twenty-five years ago, which I attribute some to development and mostly to the return of the coyote. But there are still amazing sounds at dusk, including some I can't readily identify. Last night, just before it got really dark, I heard two geese down in the valley, flying up Cutcane Creek. So, in honor of early spring, a bogus haiku: Wonderful sound / Two geese, flying up Cutcane Creek / Honking.

We're getting along toward trout season, so here's a something for the trout fanatics. But first, a preamble. As you may know, the Atlanta Journal/Constitution has deserted North Georgia. Not only do we not get home delivery any more, we can't even buy it at news stands. Sometimes, local stores have the Sunday paper, but that's it. The Chattanooga Times Free Press, which is actually a much better paper, has stepped into the gap and has provided more coverage of North Georgia and the statehouse. It is probably a better deal, because if you live in this part of the world, what happens in Nashville affects you as much as what happens in Atlanta, and the Atlanta paper doesn't cover Tennessee government at all.

Now to the trout story, which was in the March 8 paper under the headline, "Legendary fly-tyers trove to be auctioned." Harry P. Ijams, who is considered Knoxville's first ornithologist, was also a great fly-tyer. His priceless collection of rare fur and feathers from years ago has been placed at the disposal of fly-tyer Walter Babb, of Sweetwater. Babb is using the material to tie patters that Ijams and his friends would have used on trout in the Great Smoky Mountains. These will be auctioned to benefit the Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville and Trout Unlimited. They will be set in a frame with a plaque that reads "Smoky Mountain trout flies, Materials from the personal collection of Harry Ijams, 1876 - 1954. Tied by Master Tier Walter Babb." There's no date set for the auction yet, but I expect it will be handled in part by the Knoxville Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Ijams is considered Knoxville's earliest ornithologist.

There isn't much excitement this weekend, but see my column below for things to do on the weekend of the 18th.

March 8, 2011

It bounced back a little cold Sunday and Monday morning, with a Monday porch temperature right on the freeze. But it warmed up nicely in the afternoon, and we've got a beautiful day going today. There's no doubt it is early spring. I've heard the pond peepers over the past few days, and the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom on our ridge and many other places in the county.

There are a couple of interesting events next weekend.

The Union County Historical Society is hosting the Shamrock Dulcimer Slam "March 18, 19, and possibly 20." On Friday, there is a concert at the old courthouse on the square at 7:00 PM, with Stephen Seifert, In Town Down Home, and Mountain Sounds. On Saturday at the Union County Civic Center, Stephen Seifert workshops begin at 10:00 AM. There are open mike and jamming sessions scheduled for the afternoon. A second concert will be given at 7:00 with the groups to be announced. (Apparently, plans are still in flux for this event. The contact for more information is Peg Shaw at mistyinn@windstream.net.)

Also on the music scene, Charlie Daniels is playing the Anderson Music Hall at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee on March 19. For more information, 706.896.4191.

There is a "Spring Wine Highway Weekend" featuring nine wineries from Young Harris to Dahlonega on March 18 through 20. This is the fifth annual event, which is sponsored by the Georgia Winegrowers Association. Information is available at the Fannin Chamber of Commerce (behind the CVS). The arrangement is to pay the one time fee at the first winery visited. For more information, 706.878.9463.

March 2, 2011

It's a beautiful spring day today, but we had a very violent storm with high winds Monday afternoon. I heard from one person that there were reports of 85 mile per hour winds. Another person told me that the storm was moving at 68 miles an hour and gusts were up to 70 miles per hour. I wasn't home at the time, but the wind seems to have come from the northwest. It blew out a couple of my porch screens, which has never happened before, and also blew off a few shingles, which has happened in the past. We also had a water leak that only happens when it rains basically horizontally. The trees aren't in leaf, so tree damage was minimal, but there were many smaller limbs down and some dead trees also fell. At least one of my neighbors also lost a shingle or two. I imagine that different locations were affected differently, but it might be a good idea to check your place, especially if it is exposed to the wind.

February 28, 2011

We had a beautiful day Saturday. Sunday was more mixed, with both clouds and sunshine, but still a very nice day. Today, we're having some rain and gusty wind.

I heard the first tree frogs trilling last night. I haven't heard the peepers yet from the pond down in the valley, but I expect that they will be along soon.

There will be an Appalachian Trail Celebration and Backpacking Clinic at Amicalola Falls State Park on March 5th and 6th. There are two full days of events beginning at 9:00 a.m. each day. Here is the official announcement: "Saturday's speakers capture the essence of the Appalachian Trail, as hikers share their dreams, challenges and adventures. Training sessions throughout the day, ending at 7:00 p.m. Sunday many local outfitters give helpful tips and demonstrations on proper gear and preparation. All programs are located in the Lodge and are free of charge, however there is a $5.00 charge per vehicle unless you have a State Park Pass." For more information, 706-265-1969.

There will be a "Mardi Gras Celebration" at the Blue Orleans Bistro at 224 W. Main Street in downtown Blue Ridge. It features live jazz from 6:30 to 9:30, with specials all day, Friday and Saturday March 4th and 5th. For more information, 706-258-2275.

February 21, 2011

In terms of keeping track of my personal "signs of spring," I saw the first Mourning Cloak on Saturday.

These are part of a family known as the "brush-footed butterflies," which includes the Comma, the Question Mark, and the Red Admiral. These butterflies are territorial, and it is a joy to me to see that the descendents of the butterfly I first saw in this particular location in 1986 are still there today. The covey of quail that was always there in the valley is gone, presumably killed by the coyotes. As is the family of turkey that was always on the next ridge, and the grouse that were always on the last ridge going down to the valley, and so forth. The DNR keeps telling us that coyotes are completely harmless, so I wonder where they think everything that doesn't live in a tree has gone. The old boys know better, and they won't hesitate to tell you that the coyotes are killing everything out there, including most of the fawns. If you've ever heard a sound like a car alarm going off, but you can't figure out how a car could be there, you've heard a pack of them hunting. I guess at this point, I wonder what's going to happen when they eat all of the small game that's out in the woods.

I was briefly at the Fire & Ice event in downtown Blue Ridge on Saturday. The weather was beautiful, and there must have been 500 people at the event, if not more. The chili ran out fast, but everyone seemed to take that in pretty good spirits. Kudos to the folks from Blue Orleans Bistro, who made another batch so they had some to share.

I was also at the Helen Lewis Lecture on Friday night, and John McCutcheon gave a very fine performance on violin, autoharp, hammered dulcimer, guitar, piano, jaw harp, and banjo. My favorite piece was a hammered dulcimer composition by Si Kahn, who I'm told lived in Blue Ridge while trying to organize the Levi Factory. I've heard rumors about "the red out on Cutcane," but I had no idea he was also a musician.

I have been told that the fish hatchery is on the chopping block, which would be a disaster for our local economy, which is largely tourism based. I'm told that a study demonstrated that each dollar spent there returns $37 to the local economy.

February 18, 2011

We've had some beautiful springlike weather lately, with afternoon temperatures almost to 65°. It is a little overcast today, but the forecast looks good for the weekend. I've definitely seen some real signs of spring. The robins have been around for a few weeks, but this week I saw the first brown bat at our place. And I saw two mergansers in Hot House Creek yesterday, just downstream from the baptizing hole at Hwy 60. I'm sure the weather will bounce back cold again, but it is just wonderful to have a taste of spring.

This weekend is the Fire & Ice event, a chili cookoff downtown with professional ice sculpture. For more details, see the column below.

Tonight is the annual Helen Lewis Lecture. It will be held at 7:00 PM at the Epworth Campus of Reinhardt College, in the Bonnie Higdon Reeves Auditorium. The presenter tonight is John McCutcheon, the well known folklorist and performer. I understand that he is bringing about six of his instruments, and so I expect that rather than a lecture, we will have something like a workshop or a performance of Appalachian music. The lecture series in named in honor of Helen Lewis, a retired sociologist who lives here locally. She is often credited as being one of the creators - if not the creator - of the discipline of Appalachian Studies. These lectures are always well attended, and always worthwhile. To reach the campus from Blue Ridge, go north on Hwy 5 from the McDonald's. After about 6.7 miles, turn left just past Abernathy's Furniture. Take the second right, Madola Road. At the four-way stop, turn left into the entrance to the campus.

February 10, 2011

We had about a half inch of snow at our place last night, which started as grapple and then turned into flakes. It was very cold, so it didn't melt and freeze on the steps, although the paving stones were very slick. The main roads are mostly fine, but it was a little hazardous getting down off our ridgetop. There is a little sun, and although temperatures aren't supposed to get much above forty, I'm hopeful that most of the difficulties will be resolved by late afternoon.

The Fire and Ice event is next weekend, February 19th, from 11:00 - 4:00 in downtown Blue Ridge. There is a chili cookoff, live music, and professional ice sculpting. For $5, spectators can sample the chili. Hats off to the Business Association for thinking of a fun event for the February doldrums.

February 3, 2011

Well, it looks like I can update my newsletter for the first time since my hardware crash. If things remain stable, I'll try to get back on my weekly schedule. If my columns aren't appearing as usual, please email me with any questions. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and am trying to get to a better solution for my website.

Last weekend was just very beautiful, with temperatures in the sixties and mostly blue skies. The ground smelled like it was waking up, and everyone was very happy to have at least a preview of the coming of spring. Today, it is back cold, and there is some threat of rain and snow this Friday, although no accumulation is expected at this point. We're all a little gun shy with all the heavy winter weather we had this year. We had eleven and twelve inches at our place, barely a week apart. It is very unusual for us to have more than an inch of snow at a time more than once every two or three years. We have had three significant snows this winter, and no one I have talked to has remembered anything like that many inches in one winter, except for the big blizzard of March 1993, which left the county with 23-26 inches.

I will give a call to the electric cooperatives, because the electricity mostly stayed on throughout the county through these big snows. In the past, it would have been off in many locations, perhaps for days at a time. Both EMCs have been trimming their power lines very aggressively, and while I've been critical of the extent of the trimming in the past, I have to admit that I see the benefit after these snows.

The first quarter is usually not a big time for buyer activity, but the general consensus is that the market continues to improve. Land sales are still lagging cabin sales, in part because of the perception that you can't get a construction loan these days. It is true that some banks aren't making them - that's what got a lot of banks in trouble - but others are, among them the BB&T here in Blue Ridge.

In general, we think that the market will continue to slowly improve in 2011. Of course, we will have to flush all these foreclosures out of the system in order to get back to normal, and that may take a little longer, given that the inventory has already been cherry picked to a certain extent, leaving some less desirable properties on the market. But I think it is fair to say that we are back on the road to normal, although it will be some time before prices catch up to the peaks we reached in 2005.

November 30, 2010

It's one of those rainy days in the mountains that is a whole lot of fun if you don't have to go to work. A beautiful day to sit in front of the fire or bundled up on the porch and watch the shifting patterns of rain, fog, and mist as they hang and glide between the ridges and rills.

Crowd estimates for Light Up Blue Ridge were up to 10,000 souls, which makes it clear that this has become a major event, not just locally, but regionally.

The Georgia Forest Service has their sign out that says it is time to order tree seedlings. If you aren't familiar with this program, they provide bare root seedlings of both hardwoods and softwoods for a very reasonable price. They usually have redbuds, and they also have a very popular "Wildlife Pack" with some of the species that appeal most to local wildlife. You go to the office and pick up the form, which you can either bring back to the office or mail in with your check. You specify when you would like the seedlings delivered. When they come, you pick them up at the office you specify. Orders are on an "as available" basis. They can provide a dibble to help in planting with a deposit. We generally recommend planting the hardwoods in either January or February. I can say from personal experience that unless we have an unusually wet spring, that you will have to water them through the first summer. I can also tell you that you will have very limited success if you plant them under the existing canopy. The redbuds, especially, seem to need some real sun. The state forest service office in Fannin County is on the old highway, just east of Lakewood. From Blue Ridge, you would go east/north on 515, turn right (south) on Hwy 60, and then turn left on the old highway, toward Morganton. The forest service office is immediately on the right.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association is having a "Mining History Retrospective" exhibition through December 23. The Arts Association is housed in the old courthouse on Main Street, next to the new courthouse. This would be a good opportunity to learn more about the mining history of the area for those of you who are always intending to visit the Ducktown Basin Museum, but who have never found the time.

November 22, 2010

We've had about an inch of rain at our place over the past ten days, and a little more is expected later this week. Most of the color is gone from most areas, and the leaves are starting to fall heavily. The weather has continued nicely warm, and the weekend after Thanksgiving is forecast to be nice.

Friday, November 26, is the Light Up the Basin event. Festivities start at 6:00 PM, with a tree lighting ceremony at the McCaysville UCB. A procession of carolers will then parade by candlelight to the Copperhill BB&T for another tree lighting ceremony. The Yule Tree will then be lighted at the Miners Park, then the wreath will be lighted at the Steel Bridge. Santa will be at the "Christmas is Here" store.

Saturday, November 27, is Light up Blue Ridge. Tuba Christmas is on the main stage at 11:00 PM followed by Mr. & Mrs. Claus arriving on the train at 12:30. (I understand that the Abominable Band was vetoed by some on the committee as inappropriate for the occasion.) You can visit Santa and have photos taken in the downtown gazebo for free. There will be live reindeer, children's trackless train rides, and a live nativity. The lighting of the "Great Tree" takes place at dusk. The downtown shops will be open late.

The Natti Love Joys are playing Blue Jeans Pizza on November 27. See below for details.

November 11, 2010

The weather has been beautiful lately, still very cool in the mornings but warming up very nicely in the afternoon. There is still some color in the woods, more in certain areas. I noticed the other day that the Aska Road area was much more colorful than my area, which is southeast of Mineral Bluff.

The Rivers Alive event was hampered by very cold morning temperatures, but I did see some Boy Scouts heroically wading in Weaver Creek and cleaning up the trash that blows over there from the Ingles shopping center.

There is not much wild excitement in town this weekend, so I'd suggest considering a walk in the woods or something similar outdoors.

The DNR has surveyed the tailrace, and the news is just as bad as I expected it to be. There are 83% fewer fish in the tailrace. While they caution that this doesn't necessarily mean 83% mortality, there is no doubt that the trout fishery has taken a huge hit. The estimates are that it will take up to five years to rebuild the fishery, and there are a lot of unknowns. Needless to say, this is bad news for Blue Ridge and our tourism industry. Although it is true that there is a lot of great trout fishing in our area, there's no doubt that the tailrace is our best known resource.

Finally, the Natti Love Joys are playing Blue Jeans Pasta and Pizza Factory in downtown Blue Ridge on November 27th. Show time is 9:00 PM. The Nattis are known internationally as a top reggae band, and are well worth hearing.

November 5, 2010

We had a bit of slushy snow this morning around 10:00, which was kind of fun. It is supposed to clear, and the rest of the weekend is forecast as clear and somewhat cold. We are forecast to have our first hard freeze this weekend, with a low around 27°, so it is time to do your winterizing chores. Remember to check your outside storage areas for things that shouldn't freeze, check your hose bibs, and do whatever else is on your winterizing list. At this time of year, I make sure to have some ice melt up on the porch, because wood steps with snow or ice on them are treacherously slick.

See below for information on the Hemlock Fest, which is this weekend.

Also this weekend:

The Rivers Alive cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, starting at 9:00 AM. There are three starting points. The #13 Fire Station on Aska Road, Ron Henry Horseshoe Bend Park near McCaysville, and Tammen Park, just of Hwy. 515 east of Blue Ridge (where 515 crosses the river). Supplies will be provided and lunch will be served to volunteers. For more information, 706.632.5680. Dress warmly and wear your waders if you have them.

The John C. Campbell Folk School is having their Blacksmith and Fine Craft Auction Saturday, November 6, starting at 1:00 PM. The silent auction will run until 2:00, followed by the live auction preview and the live auction from 2:00 - 4:00. As you probably know, the folk school has an outstanding blacksmith program, and the pieces their instructors make and sell are amazing. The crafts include fiber, wood, pottery, and other categories. The Folk School is in Brasstown, North Carolina, south of Murphy, just off Old Hwy 64 West on Brasstown Road. If you visit the auction, be sure to also drop into the gift shop and pick up a catalog. The auction is being held in Keith House.

November 2, 2010

Last weekend, the weather was wonderful, and I think the leaves peaked in most areas. There is still a lot of color in the woods, but I think with the rain that we're expecting later this week, that more leaves will fall. At least in our area, most of the oaks never really turned, but I don't expect that to happen at this point. The weather for the coming weekend is supposed to be good again, but cooler.

This coming weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 5 - 7, is the Hemlock Fest. Here is the information:

HemlockFest, Starbridge Farm

Starbridge is located off Hwy 52E between Dahlonega and Cleveland.
Sixth annual Hemlockfest. Lots of musical entertainment, including fire dancing and after-hours acoustic jam. Knife throwing and archery. Canoeing, fishing, and pond discovery on Lake Merlin. Arts and crafts demonstrations. Interactive presentations and exhibits, including live birds of prey. Medicine wheel walks, morning bird walks, plant walks, and interpretive nature walks Birds of prey demo and live snake and furs & skulls demo. Silver smith demo. Three days of music, Story-telling, face painting, rock painting, and lots of other kid-friendly activities HemlockFest is an annual benefit music festival, held the first full weekend of November, to increase public awareness and generate funds to help save the Eastern and Carolina Hemlock trees. Funds raised each year are used to help us to continue to raise public awareness of the Hemlock problem and promote action; provide ongoing support for the efforts of all three labs in Georgia that raise predatory beetles to combat the HWA on public land; assist private land owners and public agencies in managing the health of their Hemlock trees; and facilitate other projects that benefit north Georgia, Lumpkin County, its residents and visitors. Three labs in Georgia currently in need of support are: one at the University of Georgia, another at Young Harris College, and the newest one at North Georgia College and State University. NEW THIS YEAR -- an entertaining and educational Kids' Nature Village; great for kids of all ages!
The Lumpkin Coalition, 706-864-9003

October 26, 2010

We had a pretty strong front move through early Monday morning with thunderstorms and high winds. There are a few trees down, but they were almost all ones that were rotted at the base and ready to come down. We almost always lose some trees when we have high winds while the leaves are still on the trees. In my neighborhood, the EMC actually did a whole lot more damage to the trees, trimming around their sacred easements.

There are still a lot of yellows and golds in the woods, and I think that this weekend may be the peak, if we don't get more high wind and heavy rain. It is always difficult to tell, but I'm not sure that we will get much of the bright reds from the oaks this year. If they do turn, it will be very pretty, but at this point, most of them are still either green or on the ground.

It is "prime time" in the mountains, my favorite season. It is beginning to get cool enough to get out and do some hiking and exploring, and I hope I can do some of that as soon as the real estate business quiets down after the fall rush.

In weekend events, the Southern Appalachian Artist Guild/Third Annual National Juried Art Show continues until November 13 at the Arts Center in the old courthouse in downtown Blue Ridge.

In what I think is the final concert of the year, the Union County Historical Society is hosting Highway 76 (bluegrass) October 29th, in their free Friday night concert series at the courthouse on the old town square. Music begins at 7:00 PM.

The Copperhill Halloween Parade and Safe Zone is Friday night, October 29th. The costume parade begins at 4:15 with judging beginning about 4:30. The parade starts at 5:00, and the safe zone trick or treating is from 5:30 - 6:30. There is a scream contest at 6:00.

The Blue Ridge Halloween Safe Zone is on Saturday night, October 30, from 6:00 - 8:30. This is usually pretty much fun for kids and adults alike. The costume judging starts at 6:15 and the pet judging at 7:30. There will be movies in the downtown park at dusk.

October 19, 2010

The weather was just beautiful last weekend, with very cool mornings and warm afternoons. There is good color in the woods, but not in all locations. Out our way, the dominant colors are yellow and gold, with some dark reds from the sourwoods. Most of the oaks seem to have not yet turned. It is rather odd, because some areas seem not to have started turning yet, while others seem almost done. It is always impossible to predict, but I'm expecting the next two weekends to be very pretty.

The builder's expo last weekend was a big success. By some estimates, there were some 4,000 visitors for the two day event. There was an impressive diversity of trades represented, and I learned a lot in the few brief minutes I had to visit the booths.

There was an interesting meeting between the TVA and Trout Unlimited reported in the News Observer. True to form, the TVA disclaimed all responsibility for the fish kill in the tailrace, which they caused by draining the lake when it was clearly too hot to do it without creating a massive fish kill. Their spokesman stated that the TVA would not contribute financially to any restoration efforts because the TVA "can't take responsibility" for one of the hottest summers on record. That's typical TVA evasion and double talk. I can't grasp why the Tea Party doesn't focus their rage on them, because the TVA is the ultimate abusive government bureaucracy that serves only itself. The politicians in Washington are pikers compared to them.

October 12, 2010

The great weather has continued. Although there is some threat of rain over the next couple of days, it seems that the weekend will bring more great weather, with cool mornings and warm afternoons.

There is some real color in the woods right now, especially in some locations. It seems that the past two days have made a big difference. Predicting what the leaves are going to do is really impossible, but I think that this coming weekend will be good. I'm expecting the peak sometime between now and the end of the month. Of course, heavy rain and high winds can change things overnight, because many leaves may fall before they reach their personal peak of color. But in the absence of that, I expect the next few weeks to be the best. I was up in Tennessee briefly last week, and the colors up there are further along. Also, in general, the higher the elevation, the earlier the color.

I've noticed a lot more bird activity than usual in our woods, and while I haven't had time to go out and really scope out the situation, I'm confident that means that the fall migrants are coming through in some numbers.

This weekend is the Builder's Expo in the downtown city park in Blue Ridge. We are expecting almost 100 vendors, so it should be a very informative weekend.

Finally, we are starting to get into high season, and I don't want to disappoint anyone who wants to go out and look at cabins or land with me. Other people have other policies, but I think the fairest policy is "first come, first served" when it comes to appointments. So to avoid disappointment, please let me know you are coming so I can save some time for you. I'll do everything I can to accommodate folks, but when I'm booked, I'm booked! Thanks in advance for everyone's understanding. In general, if you can come of a weekday, that's better, because now that we are in season most of the rentals are rented and "unshowable" on the weekends (and sometimes, in the middle of the week).

October 7, 2010

We've been having some really wonderful fall weather. It has been cool in the morning, between 40° and 46°, and the afternoons have warmed up nicely. There has been a strong wind blowing up on the ridgetops, but I think that is mostly over for a while. Today it is in the seventies, with a gentle wind. Some of the sourwoods are beginning to turn, but there is no real color in the woods yet, except in the higher elevations. The weekend is supposed to be beautiful.

The Cherry Log Festival is going on this Saturday and Sunday, the 9th and 10th, as is the Apple Festival in Ellijay. Fall Festival is still on at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds.

Friday night at 7:00 PM, John Nix and Country Cousins is the featured act at the Friday Night Concert at the Old Courthouse on the Square in Blairsville. This is a free event sponsored by the Union County Historical Society every Friday night in season.

September 30, 2010

The weather has been just beautiful lately, in between a few days of rain. We had about 1-8/10" on Sunday, and so far today we've had about 2-1/2". Today's rain was a little unexpected. Otherwise, it has been beautiful early fall weather with mornings around 52°. The weekend is supposed to be beautiful. There are still some katydids singing, but you can tell that the season is turning. Here and there, there are some trees that are starting to turn, and the air feels like fall.

I just put out my email newsletter with a feature on a fall leaf tour through the Cohuttas. If you don't already receive it and would like to, just drop me an email and I'll add you to the list.

I was over to the Mennonite farmer's market in Delano, Tennessee (just north of the Hiwassee River on 411) yesterday, and the market is in its fall glory. They plan to continue Monday through Saturday hours through October, and then switch to Friday and Saturday only for the first part of November. They had Batavian lettuce, collards, turnip greens, half runners, eggplant, crooknecks, green peanuts, butternuts, okra, tomatos, potatos, sweet potatos, white and red radish, cucumbers, red bell peppers, hot peppers, spinach, shell beans, and probably a few other things that I've forgotten. They have also put up a new batch of sorghum at $7.50 per quart.

It's the fall festival season in the mountains. This weekend, October 2-3, there are the following festivals: Indian Summer Festival in Suches, Fall Festival at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, and the Cherry Log Festival. The Georgia Mountain Fair Fall Festival runs from October 8-16. The Apple Festival in Ellijay is October 9-10 and 16-17. The Sorghum Festival in Blairsville is October 15-16.

September 15, 2010

We've been having some beautiful fall weather. We had a wonderful thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon that dropped about 1-1/10 inches of rain, which was much needed. September is usually dry, but this one have been very dry so far. The morning temperatures have been wonderful - we've had about 56 on the porch - and everyone is really reveling in it after the very hot summer we've all endured. The katydids are still singing, even though there aren't nearly as many of them as there were, and some of the leaves are starting to drop. Here and there at the higher elevations, there are some trees starting to turn.

Regular readers will recall that I was all excited because of a Chattanooga Times-Free Press report about a bridge over Dills Creek on Old CCC Camp Road on the west side of the Cohuttas. I got even more excited when I heard that there was a good swimming hole there. It turned out to be easy to find. You just turn off 411 at the traffic light in Eton, and follow CCC Camp Road east, back into the Cohuttas. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointment when we got there, because the adjoining property owner has plastered the area with "No Trespassing" signs. The day turned out OK, because we found a very nice swimming hole a bit further up the road at the Holly Creek Picnic Area and found some other interesting things. I'm going to write it up for my "Day Trips" feature of my email newsletter, which will go out toward the end of the month. If anyone who doesn't regularly receive that newsletter would like to be put on the list, just drop me an email.

The market continues to be somewhat improved, and we're seeing some very good deals on both out-of-town foreclosures and conventional resales. What is happening is basically that people are beginning to cherry pick the good listings, and that's what is accounting for the sales that we're seeing. Local bank foreclosures are still - for the most part - not priced competitively. As I've said before, the most rational strategy is to shop both the foreclosures and the conventional resales to make sure you are getting the best possible deal. You have also to weigh the fact that you will not get a seller's disclosure with a foreclosure and will have to agree to mandated addendums to the sales contract that do not - to put it mildly - favor the buyer. You have also to factor in the fact that may of the conventional resales are sold furnished. That's not to say that you shouldn't consider the foreclosures, just that you should shop them all and look before you leap. Especially with the foreclosures, it's definitely "buyer beware."

September 1, 2010

It has been a little warmer, but still strongly suggestive of early fall. We had 62 on the porch this morning, and the high yesterday on the porch was 82. The katydids are starting to come down from the trees to lay their eggs, and I'm seeing the occasional leaf fall. I especially hate to see the katydids begin to live out their lifecycle, but I suppose that there aren't too many people who aren't at least a little glad that it looks like fall is coming, as hot as it has been all summer.

Labor Day is the 30th Annual Labor Day Bar-B-Q in the downtown Blue Ridge park. This is a benefit for the Good Samaritans of Fannin County, and it begins with a Sunday worship service with Ice Cream Social afterwards, starting at 6:00 PM. This is what we call here locally an "ecumenical event," meaning that more than one Christian Church has involved. (It's worked pretty well over the last thirty years, except for the time when someone lost their mind and let a woman preach, offending not only the sacred memory of Samuel Johnson but some of the local churches, who promptly pulled out and left everybody else in the lurch, proving that - at least in Fannin County - interdenominational tolerance only goes so far.)

The barbecue itself is from 11:30 to 6:00 (or when the food runs out) on Monday, September 6th. This is a very well attended event, so it is wise to buy your tickets early as there are separate lines for tickets and food. I believe the Chamber of Commerce is selling them (up behind the CVS) and also the other sponsors. The menu is Ribs ($10), Half Chicken ($9), or BBQ sandwich ($8) with baked beans, bell pepper slaw (no mayo), iced tea, and homemade brownie, pound cake, or apple. There will also be Gospel, Bluegrass, and Old Time music, so it is not a bad idea to bring a lawn chair.

Volunteers are still needed. To volunteer or for more information, 706.455.3818.

In tragic local news, John Daly has sold his food cart and moved from his spot next to the BP station. He plans to do special events, and will be at the Flea Market on 515 that's south of June Walker Chevy this weekend. He mentioned that he is cooking 45 pounds of beef brisket for the weekend, along with a lot of other things. A fond farewell to a favorite breakfast venue.

Finally, here's a longish press release from the DNR about special events next week.

GEORGIA EVENTS MARK 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF WILDLIFE GRANTS

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (Sept. 1, 2010) - From monitoring swallow-tailed
kites along the coast to surveying rare fishes in highland rivers, the
federal State Wildlife Grants Program has funded wildlife conservation
across Georgia since 2000. Yet most Georgians never knew it.

Next week, the state Department of Natural Resources will celebrate the
10-year anniversary of State Wildlife Grants with events highlighting
wildlife stories and successes the grants helped make possible.

Public events Sept. 10-11 will offer close-ups of rare creatures and
special habitats, like bog turtles at Chattahoochee Nature Center in
Roswell and pitcherplants at Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Natural Area near
Moultrie.

It’s all part of Teaming with Wildlife Week. Teaming with Wildlife is
a national coalition and the leading advocate of State Wildlife Grants.

Linda May, environmental outreach coordinator for DNR’s Nongame
Conservation Section, said the goal is raising awareness. The State
Wildlife Grants Program is very crucial to the work we do,” May
said.

The grants fund work benefiting wildlife and their habitats,
specifically the 90 percent of our nation’s species not hunted, fished
for or on the Endangered Species List. The focus: Keep common species
common and prevent wildlife from becoming endangered, protecting them
and their habitats before they become too rare and more costly to
protect.

The stable funding for state fish and wildlife agencies has been
critical to the recovery and conservation of many species, fulfilling a
responsibility to save them for future generations.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that in the current economic
climate, “the program ensures that states will have the necessary
resources to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants and
habitats - an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.”

State Wildlife Grants have been used for land conservation such as the
acquisition of Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area near Bainbridge;
habitat restoration, including more prescribed burning to benefit
longleaf pine ecosystems; and research, such as sandhills surveys and
habitat assessments that could help keep the gopher tortoise -
Georgia’s state reptile - off the endangered species list.

Nongame Conservation Section Chief Mike Harris said the work is done
strategically, guided by the State Wildlife Action Plan. This
comprehensive plan required for State Wildlife Grants and developed by
Georgia scientists, sportsmen and the public guides DNR efforts to
conserve biological diversity.

State Wildlife Grants also draw matching money and work from
conservation partners. The overall impact is at least double the roughly
$1.5 million Georgia receives each year.

Jerry McCollum, president of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, which
helped found the state Teaming with Wildlife coalition, noted that the
grants program is not guaranteed. Congress decides funding annually.
“For sportsmen and conservationists in Georgia … a constant vigil
is required,” McCollum said.

Find a State Wildlife Grants event in your region:
www.georgiawildlife.com/node/2321

August 26, 2010

I'm happy to report that the very hot and humid weather has finally broken. It was 64 on the porch this morning, and the high on the porch yesterday evening was 77. In honor of that, this will be a longer than usual column.

This morning, I attended an interesting session on Bee Keeping, hosted by Feed Fannin, a volunteer organization devoted to providing food for the hungry through community gardens, education, and donations to the Americorps Food Bank. One of the goals of the organization is to help people become more self-sufficient, which is where the educational program fits in. These free classes are held, usually at 10:00 AM on a Thursday morning at the Family Connections Center in the Industrial Park on Ada Street, not far from downtown Blue Ridge. "3 Meals from One Chicken" is scheduled for September 2nd, "Health & Nutrition" for September 9, and "Improving Soil" for September 16. Upcoming courses are "Preserving Food," "Raising Chickens," Nutrition & Health," "Cabbage Dishes," "Closing Your Garden," "Raising Berries," "Seed Preservation," and "Growing Grapes." Call Pat at 706.838.4374 for more information.

Rob O'Halloran passed on the information that 100 more applications are needed to meet the requirement of 1,000 for the production of a specialty Appalachian Trail license plate for Georgia. The deadline is October 31 and the cost is $25. You can download an application at www.appalachiantrail.org/galicenseplate.

Speaking of trails, the Benton MacKaye Trail Association newsletter just arrived. President Ralph Heller's column focuses on a great idea, the development of parks in downtown Blue Ridge and Ellijay that would connect with the trail. This apparently has worked well in Sedona, Arizona and Schliersee (near Munich, Germany). In the case of Blue Ridge, this would only involve about three miles of trail, and would connect day hikers with the trail from a downtown parking spot, as well as connecting with Springer Mountain and the Cohutta Wilderness Area for longer hikes. This is a very active organization that is still building and maintaining trails. Trail maintainers are needed at this time for several sections of the trail. The newsletter also reports that a new Bartram Trail Map is available from the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society. The map should be available at Forest Service offices in North Carolina, or can be ordered online at www.ncbartramtrail.org. You can reach the Benton MacKaye Trail Association through their website at www.BMTA.org.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press carried an interesting article on August 24th headlined "Bridge for Fish." The article reported that the Dills Creek Bridge has been rebuilt on CCC Camp Road, near Eton on 411, west of the Cohutta Wilderness Area. This project was undertaken to allow fish to travel once again up the creek, which is part of the Holly Creek watershed. Holly Creek flows into the Conasauga River, which is known for its biodiversity. Holly Creek's watershed is considered one of the most pristine in Georgia. With the rebuilding of the bridge and the elimination of a "perching" pool below the former bridge, aquatic species and endangered fish will have access to eight more miles of the pristine Dills Creek. Funding was provided by the Fish America Foundation through the Georgia Conservancy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Murray County. Among the species at risk are the Coosa moccasinshell, the Southern pigtoe, the Alabama moccasinshell, the Fine-lined pocketbook, the Conasauga blue burrowing crayfish, and six species of sport fish.

Since the demise of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's commitment to covering north Georgia, the Times Free Press has stepped up their coverage of the area. But they really don't tell you how to find Dills Creek, and it doesn't appear that their reporter has ever been there (the photos that accompany this story, which appeared on the front page of the North Georgia Edition, were contributed). I haven't been there either, but in looking at the map, it appears that CCC Camp Road is Forest Service 18, north of Hassler's Mill, which appears on the Forest Service's map of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia. If you travel southeast from Crandall or southeast from Eton and then north, you can probably navigate to FS 18. FS 18 also goes north from Hwy 52, in the vicinity of Nine Mile. (That would be nine miles out of Ellijay, I reckon, and would probably be easier to find.) If I can find time to get over that way, I'll file a better report. This is also a good time to mention that there is a pool just below the confluence of the Jacks and the Conasauga that is a favorite spot for people to snorkel and see some of these rare fish. It is on FS 221, south of the Sylco Campground and east of 411 and Willis Springs.

August 19, 2010

We've had 2/10" of rain at our place every day for the past three days. Other than that, the weather has continued much as it has been, unseasonably hot and humid.

The rodeo will be this Friday night, the 20th, at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds, near St Luke's Anglican Church (Jones Street is off East Second, which is southeast of the old downtown and southeast of the old highway). Gates open at 6:00 PM with things getting started at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $10 advance, $12 at the gate. Advance tickets can be purchased at the BB&T, the UCB, and Kevin Painter Insurance (behind Zaxby's).

Steel String Session is playing the Union County Courthouse this Friday, August 20, at 7:00 PM. This is a free concert at the old courthouse on the square, sponsored by the Union County Historical Society.

This Saturday the 21st, the Natti Love Joys, an internationally recognized reggae band that is based locally, will play the downtown Blue Ridge park from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. The art galleries will also be open for Art Walk and the downtown shops will be open until 9:00 PM.

"I Hate Hamlet" is playing at the Blue Ridge Community Theater for the next three weekends. Friday and Saturday curtain time is 7:30 PM, with a matinee at 2:00 PM on Sunday. Event dates are August 20 - 22, August 27 - 29, and September 3 - 5.

See the column below for details on our two farmer's markets.

August 11, 2010

We've had almost two inches of rain since my last column. Last night around 6:00 PM, we had a wonderful thunderstorm that seemed to be centered over the lake. It dropped 8/10" of rain very quickly, and probably did some damage to some of our roads. Other than that, it has been the same weather we've had all summer, unseasonably hot and humid. I still haven't seen 90° on our porch, but it has been all of that and more in town.

In one of the more bizarre local developments, ASCAP, one of the music publishing companies, has demanded payment from the Lilly Pad, a modest venue for local music located on Aska Road. The Lilly Pad has been charging a cover charge, and that - and their presence on the web - was apparently enough to bring the wrath of ASCAP down on them. While they are looking for a solution, the folks at the Lilly Pad have had to suspend presenting live music. I'm familiar with ASCAP, because my grandfather, Carey Morgan, was a Broadway songwriter, and we still get some royalties from his songs. But this doesn't seem to be a reasonable use of copyright law. I'm reminded of something my mother - who grew up around the music business - said when I announced that I was going to skip the opening act at an Atlanta venue: "The headliner that you are going to see was an opening act once, you know." Just where does ASCAP think tomorrow's superstars are going to come from if they strangle live music at the local level?

In honor of short-sighted corporate greed, here are some local music events that are still going on this weekend, all free events.

Pickin' at Horseshoe Bend is scheduled for Thursday, August 12, from 6:00 PM to dusk.

The Dismembered Tennesseans are playing the Festival Barn at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC at 7:30 PM on Friday, August 13th, 828.837.8637.

Ed Shipman and Friends are playing at the Old Courthouse on the Square in Blairsville, Friday August 13, at 7:00 PM. Steel String Session, Lisa Jacobi's group, is scheduled for August 20th. These are free concerts sponsored by the Union County Historical Society.

We now have two farmer's markets operating in Blue Ridge. The Blue Ridge Farmer's Market is open Saturday in front of the courthouse in the downtown park from 8:00 AM until noon on Saturday, 706.258.4552.

The Appalachian Fresh Market is open at the old State Farmer's Market site, next to the Swan Drive-in on the Old Highway (East First Street) Friday 1:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

August 5, 2010

There was a brief rain at our place on Saturday the 28th, right after I finished a little deck staining. Other than that, it has been dry. I still haven't seen 90° on our porch - the highest I've actually seen in 87° - but with the high humidity, it certainly has felt very hot.

The deep drawdown of the lake continues. See the column for July 19 for more information.

Pickin' at Horseshoe Bend Park is on for tonight, from about 6:00 PM to dusk.

This weekend, Smokey Bear's Birthday Party is scheduled for the Whitewater Center. This might be a good choice for the kids, and you can always dip in the "Blue Hole" to cool off. (One of my friends saw an otter in there not long ago.) Here's the official announcement:

"Smokey Bear's Birthday Party, Ocoee Whitewater Center in Ducktown, TN, Highway 64 West, Copperhill. Smokey Bear will be 66 years old this year. In his honor, the USDA Forest Service is throwing a birthday party at the Ocoee Whitewater Center on August 7th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Come help Smokey celebrate his birthday and enjoy a fun-filled day in the Cherokee National Forest. It promises to be a fun family day with games, goody bags, fire prevention programs, prizes, and plenty of cake and ice cream. Bring a camera and have your picture taken with Smokey. While you’re at the Ocoee Whitewater Center, you may want to hike or bike the Old Copper Road Trail, watch rafting on the Ocoee River, visit the gift shop, grab a bite at the café, or just take in the scenery from the rocking chairs on the deck. There is no charge to attend other than the usual $3.00 per vehicle day use fee. The Ocoee Whitewater Center is located in the heart of the Cherokee National Forest on U.S. Hwy 64, 6 miles west of Ducktown, TN and 30 miles east of Cleveland, TN. Ocoee Whitewater Center, 423-496-0104.

Finally, the Georgia Forest Watch folks have an interesting hike planned on August 15. See the (longish) press release below.

ELLIJAY, GA (August 5, 2010) Georgia ForestWatch joins conservation
leaders from across the country to support America’s first annual
Roadless Recreation Week August 7-15, which will include more than 50
recreation activities in national forest roadless areas in Georgia and
12 other states. The week-long celebration highlights the importance
of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, issued to protect nearly 60
million acres of pristine national forests across the country, and
encourages the public to go “all out” to enjoy the unique outdoor
opportunities these areas provide.

Georgia ForestWatch's August 15 “Poetry on the Mountaintop” hike is
the local highlight of this nationwide campaign to recognize the
recreational, environmental and economic values that roadless areas
provide. ForestWatch hike leaders Brooks Franklin, Maureen Keating,
and Brenda Smith and poet Laurence Holden will lead an 8.4- and a
3.4-mile hike that will meet at the top of Rabun Bald within the
Sarah's Creek Inventoried Roadless Area. After lunch on the summit,
Holden will inspire hikers with new poems about the mountain
wilderness. Georgia ForestWatch Outreach Director Jill Gottesman will
provide maps of Georgia's inventoried roadless areas and give a brief
overview of the roadless issue and opportunities in Georgia. Georgia residents can go to www.gafw.org for information about the Poetry on the Mountaintop hike (RSVP required) and to learn how to support roadless area protection. Please join Georgia ForestWatch for this very special visit to a very special place.

The USDA estimates there were 173.5 million recreation visits to U.S.
Forest System lands in 2009, with more than 57 percent of those visits
for activities such as hiking, camping, hunting and fishing.
Inventoried roadless areas within the national forest system,
specially designated areas of land that have few or no roads, "are
basically the last shot at what we can designate as fully protected
wilderness," Georgia ForestWatch Executive Director Wayne Jenkins
said. "As you can imagine, there are precious few places like these
left in densely-roaded Georgia. ForestWatch and many other Georgians
have been working for years on permanent protection for the
Mountaintown area, Georgia’s largest roadless area, and it’s high time
we get the job done," he added.

“National forest roadless areas serve as a natural landscape for
anyone who wants to get out and enjoy the outdoors. They also serve as
essential sources of clear water and habitat for fish and wildlife…We
must ensure that they are protected now and for generations to come
and the roadless rule is the best way to do that.”

Roadless areas are a source of drinking water for 60 million
Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as
recreation-associated jobs in rural communities across the northern
portion of Georgia and throughout the country.

The first annual Roadless Recreation Week occurs as a federal court
prepares to issue an important decision about the Roadless Area
Conservation Rule. The rule was issued in 2001 by the Clinton
administration to protect roughly one-third of undeveloped U.S. Forest
Service lands. It was the result of the largest public lands review
process in U.S. history, with more than 1.2 million citizen comments
and 600 public hearings.

The rule has been the subject of conflicting court decisions over the
past decade. In August 2009, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld
a lower court ruling to reinstate the roadless rule for most roadless
areas, but a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision is still pending.
The Obama administration has expressed strong support for the national
policy, and has asked the Tenth Circuit to uphold the rule.

The mission of Georgia ForestWatch is to promote national forest
management that leads to naturally self-sustaining forests and
watersheds within the more than 865,000 acres of national forest lands
in Georgia, to engage and educate the public to join in this effort,
and to promote preservation of this legacy for future generations.

July 27, 2010

We had almost an inch of rain in a beautiful thunderstorm Sunday, around supper time. It has continued unseasonably hot and humid by our standards.

The deep draw down of the Lake Blue Ridge is underway. See the column for July 19 for more details.

Union County had an alcohol referendum along with the primary election last Tuesday. Beer, wine, and liquor by the drink were approved, along with beer and wine package sales. This is quite a change for Union County, which has been completely dry, but I imagine they are happy at the new Wal-Mart about the package sales. There is also a referendum for liquor by the drink for the City of Blue Ridge on the November ballot.

Pickin' at Horseshoe Bend Park continues every Thursday from 6:00 PM until dusk.

This Friday night, July 30, Cedar Grove Grass is playing at the old Union County Courthouse (on the square in Blairsville) at 7:00 PM. This is part of a free concert series sponsored by the Union County Historical Society. It takes place every Friday night, May through November. The Green Bean Festival is also taking place on the square this Friday and Saturday.

July 19, 2010

It has threatened rain almost every day this week, but it hasn't rained much, at least at our place. I think we are in one of the driest areas in the county, though. It has rained more in Blue Ridge and in nearby North Carolina than where we are, just southeast of Mineral Bluff. It has remained unseasonably hot and humid.

It appears that the TVA has started the deep draw down of Lake Blue Ridge on schedule. This is to repair the penstock, which carries water to the generating turbines. It was damaged on installation or shortly thereafter (the dam was completed in 1931), and the TVA has been required to do a deep draw down every five years to make sure it is still safe to operate. This time, they are going to repair or replace it, and there will be no more need for periodic draw downs. That's the good news. The bad news is that the lake will be drawn down very far, and it is not expected to fully refill until at least late summer 2011. Unfortunately, the TVA does not have a very good record of completing their projects on time. They have stated that the rumors that the lake will be drawn down to the river channel are false. But they have also warned everyone against looting the archeological sites that will be exposed, which they haven't done during the periodic draw downs. So it remains a matter of speculation just how deep the draw down will really be, in practical terms. Their stated information is that they will draw the lake down to an elevation of 1,620 - 1,630, or about 67 feet below summer pool or 47 feet below winter pool. As the lake continues to go down, the only usable boat ramp will be the one at the marina. In the end, it is also expected to be unusable.

The Georgia Mountain Fair starts this week, Wednesday, July 21, in Hiawassee. If you haven't been before, it is well worth visiting. There are a lot of good food and craft vendors, and the exhibit halls are worth visiting. Among other things, there is a complete, authentic one-room school. There are also music shows every day, which are included in the cost of admission. Parking is $2, and admission is $9 per person. Musical attractions this year include Roy Clark, T. Graham Brown, Bellamy Brothers, Ray Price, Gene Watson, Jim Ed Brown, Mountain Heart, Billy Joe Royal, and Earl Thomas Conley. There are also two new attractions, a petting zoo and a chainsaw artist, Mal McEwen. 706.896.4191.

July 10, 2010

After over a week of very dry weather, we've finally had a little rain. We had about 2/10" at our place last night (Friday). The temperatures had been very unseasonably hot and humid during the dry spell, so we have some hopes that the rain that is in the forecast for next week will bring us back to a more normal temperature pattern.

I think that the rain may have helped the katydids, because they were incredibly loud last night, starting a little before 10:00 PM. There seem to be more this year than there have been for the past few years. I think the rain we had earlier in the spring was good for them. I love these little fellows, and I like to start out the night's sleep on the porch so I can hear them in full song, which usually lasts until 4:00 AM, or a little afterwards. (They also sing some during the day, and some of the old boys calculate the date of the first snow from the day they first hear them singing during the daytime.)

I get a lot of questions about katydids. A lot of people ask me whether they are the same as cicadas. The answer is that they are not. We have cicadas, but not very many. We also have locusts, but we don't tend to see or hear them except when they are at their peak of their cycle. The katydids come every year in similar numbers, and they look like little green grasshoppers. We also have a number of different tree frogs that sing at night, but the katydids are much louder. They are by far the dominant sound in our mountains at night. They make their song by rubbing their hind legs together, and only the males sing. That should go a long way toward answering the most frequently asked question, which is "why do they sing?"

June 26, 2010

Here's a rundown of events for the big weekend, including three days in a row of fireworks.

The fireworks in McCaysville/Copperhill will be on July 2, at about 9:30.

The occasional "Movies in the Park" event, which is co-sponsored by the library and the Downtown Business Association, will be July 2 at 9:00 PM, in the downtown Blue Ridge Park, across from the courthouse. Admission is free, with free popcorn and water. "Night at the Museum" is showing, a "wild fantasy comedy" based on the experiences of a night watchman at the New York Museum of Natural History. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Senior Center at 440 West First Street. For more information, call the library, 706.632.5263.

This weekend is also the Miner's Homecoming event in Ducktown. On July 3, there is a pancake breakfast at 7 AM at the Hoist House at the Ducktown Basin Museum ($5 adults, $3 children under 12), a parade on Main Street in Ducktown at 10 AM, and the Rubber Duck Race at 12:00 PM. Admission to the museum is free on Saturday, so if you haven't been, it is a good opportunity to stop by. There are many other things happening in Ducktown on Saturday, including 80s rock with Wings of Icarus at 3:00 PM, bluegrass by Ray Deaton and Grastic Measures at 6:00 PM, and rock by the C.C. Morgan Band at 8:00 (bring your own lawn chair). Fireworks will be at 10:00 PM.

In Blue Ridge, the Old Timer's Day Parade will be held in downtown Blue Ridge on July 3 at 10:00 AM.

Also on July 3, there will be barbecue and live music at the Blue Ridge Marina from 4:00 - 6:00 PM in preparation for fireworks at dusk. Morganton Point is also a good location to view the fireworks, as it is directly across the lake from the marina.

The Georgia Mountain Fair is presenting Ray Stevens at 7:00 PM on July 3.

June 24, 2010

It has continued unseasonably hot and humid, although it has dried out a little bit in the past few days.

Pickin' at Horseshoe Bend Park is on for tonight, 6 PM to dusk, and the Kiwanis Fair continues (see below for directions). The Farmer's Market will be held as usual on Saturday morning, across from the courthouse.

Other than that, it is a pretty quiet week in town. There will be lots of festivities around the 4th, and I'll try to get them posted as soon as possible.

June 17, 2010

It has been unseasonably hot and humid this week, and some parts of the county have had a good amount of rain. We haven't had very much where we are (just southeast of Mineral Bluff) but I've seen it rain quite a bit in downtown Blue Ridge.

This weekend, the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market will be across from the courthouse in downtown Blue Ridge, from 8:00 - 12:00 on Saturday morning.

This is also the weekend of the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association's biggest fundraiser. The event is Saturday night, starting at 5:30 PM. Here's the announcement: Spend some quality time in Night Court. Silent and Live Auction, games, Plein Aire painting, entertainment & libations. Ticket prices are $30.00 pre-sale and $35.00 at the door. At the Arts Association in downtown Blue Ridge, 706-632-2144.

Next week is the Kiwanis Fair at the Kiwanis Fair Grounds in downtown Blue Ridge. This is a little hard to find if you haven't been there before, so here are the directions and a description of the event. From Depot Street downtown (between City Park and the train depot) head up the hill to East 1st Street, turn right, then turn left on Church Street and an immediate left on East 2nd. Go one block and turn right on Jones. The event features: Rides, Fairway, Carnival goodies, fine local entertainers performing each day. Hours: Wednesday through Saturday hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday will be 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. You may purchase advance tickets from all the local banks for $12.00 for Family Nights which is on Wednesday & Thursday, with advance tickets only for the discount. At the door prices and prices for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are $18.00. Some great new programs this year such as "Rowdy Rooster" for small children and a "Farmer for a Day" program. Come on down for a wonderful family event! Gate admission is $4.00 this is not included in the ticket price. For more information, call 706-258-3247 or 706-455-0998

June 10, 2010

We've had rain on and off this week, but we've also had some beautiful weather in between.

In a hot news flash, I can report that the Delano Farmer's Market (just north of the Hiwassee River on 411) has corn already. Please don't ask me how they do it. I asked one of the guys a while ago when they would have corn, and he said the middle of June. He added that they used to be happy if they had it by the 4th of July, but that they had found some ways to "hurry it along." Back home, we used to say, "Knee high by the 4th of July," so the middle of June seems almost unreal to me.

It appears that they are repairing the flume that takes river water to Ocoee #2 in the gorge. It was damaged by a rock slide earlier in the spring. Until they get it fixed, they can't generate electricity.

I stopped in the Habitat for Humanity "Restore" the other day, in the Valley Village Shopping Center. That's behind the KFC, for those of you who "aren't from around here." There isn't a whole lot of building going on, so leftover building supplies are a bit hard to come by, but they had some very nice cabin furniture in there, along with some nice cabin furnishings.

Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, Tennessee's Senators, have introduced a bill to add almost 20,000 acres of wilderness in Tennessee, including adding 348 acres to the Big Frog and 966 acres to the Little Frog Wilderness. It's called the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2010, but there is no number assigned to the bill as yet.

June 4, 2010

We've had rain on and off all week. We haven't had the sustained, heavy rains that the weather forecast has called for all week, but there's no doubt that the ground is pretty saturated. Yesterday, we went over to Morganton Point and had a nice swim at noon. I thought the water would be a little chilly from the rain, but it was just perfect. The lake is at full pool, which is nice, because the TVA plans to pull the plug on July 15th for the deep draw down required for penstock repairs. So ... we need to get our lake recreation in early this year.

Last night, we went to Pickin' at Horseshoe Bend Park. Despite the threat of rain, there was a pretty good turnout, with two groups performing under the picnic shelters. We took a little dinner and just enjoyed sitting in the park and watching it get dark. On toward dusk, a sandhill crane flew by with a Canada goose. The geese are a regular sight on the river, but the crane was a little unusual.

This is a relatively quiet weekend in town. On Saturday, The Chattahoochee National Fish Hatchery is holding a Family Fishing Festival from 9 AM to noon at the fish hatchery. Children under 16 fish free (bring your own rods and bait). The fish hatchery is located on Rock Creek Road, south of Morganton on Hwy 60. Look for the sign at Rock Creek Road.

Also on Saturday, the Tri-State Model Railroaders are holding an open house at the Mineral Bluff Historic Depot from noon to 3 PM. Their model railroad will be running, and it is a good place to meet and talk to rail enthusiasts. From Blue Ridge, take 515 east to Hwy 60 and turn left (north). Go straight through the four-way stop and turn left just before crossing Hemptown Creek. This is the line that used to run up to Murphy, NC, but the tracks have now been taken up past the depot. The old railroad bridge remains over the Toccoa, and is said to be fully safe and functional.

May 25, 2010

We had about 6/10" rain last Friday, and we had a terrific thunderstorm yesterday (Monday) that knocked out all the power in downtown Blue Ridge. That one brought us 7/10" at home. Other than the rain, which we need, it's been very beautiful. The weather has been nice for sleeping with the windows open and listening to the Whip-poor-wills and owls. There is still a lot of laurel in bloom, and it looks like the rhodendron is getting ready to bloom in some locations.

This weekend is Arts in the Park, Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30. This is the 34th Annual Festival, and it's one of the premier events in our area. In fact, it has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Events by the Southeastern Tourism Society. There will be over 200 booths with art, crafts, and food. It is back in the downtown Blue Ridge Park this year. Admission is $3, with children under 12 free. It is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association, 706.632.2144.

Saturday evening, there will also be a Classic Cars Cruise In on East Main Street in Blue Ridge, adjacent to the downtown park. It starts at 6:00 PM and runs until dusk. This is scheduled every fourth Saturday until September 25th. For more information Fairley Stanley, 706.492.5184.

Many of you lamented the passing of Pickin' in the Park, so I wanted to be sure that everyone heard that it has been continued. It is now called Pickin' in Horseshoe Bend Park (the promoter had copyrighted the old name). It is now sponsored by the Fannin County Parks and Recreation Department, 706.632.7696. It is good that they have picked it up, because I've heard some very good bluegrass at this event. It is perfect for taking a picnic dinner and a lawn chair, and there is plenty of room for the kids to stretch out. Trout people can also fish in the river at the park. It begins about 6:00 PM and runs until dusk. The easiest way to get there is to go north on Hwy 5 from Blue Ridge, cross the river, turn right on Hwy 60, and then turn right just before the tracks onto River Road. The park is a mile or two upstream, on the right.

May 10, 2010

We're having what the locals call "blackberry winter." That's when we have a cold snap when the blackberries are in bloom. It was 85° on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning, it was 44 on the deck, with a snappy wind. Sunday was a little warmer, and today (Monday) we had a little rain, which lowered the afternoon temperatures to about 53.

Some of the laurel (not the rhodendron or "mountain laurel") bloomed over the weekend as is making a very pretty show around the county. I'm guessing that it will be a pretty good year for the blackberries, because they seem to like a lot of rain over the winter and then sun in the early spring.

May 5, 2010

We were away for a few days last week, and when we got back on Sunday afternoon, there was a heavy rain. We got about 2-1/2" at our place, and it washed most of the pollen down the creek. There is still a little on the windshield in the morning, but I'm hopeful that this will be the last week.

There were high winds last week while we were away. Most of the damage seems to have been out Old Highway 2, but I did hear a report of some trees down on the Toccoa off Douthit Road.

In terms of the progress of spring, the trees are now in full leaf. There are still some native azaleas in shady spots. The rain washed the remaining dogwood blossoms off most of the trees. The blackberries are just starting to grow and flower. I've heard the first Whip-Poor-Will and the first Yellow Cuckoo. There are still a few Mallards and other migrants coming through.

All in all, spring is over. We've got "blackberry winter" to look forward to, but in my mind, it's prime time in the mountains. For my money, it just doesn't get any better.

We had a report that the Mennonite Farmer's Market in Delano is open six days a week. As of a few days ago, they didn't have corn yet, but they did have greens, lettuce, and the other early spring vegetables. The turnoff to the market is just north of the Hiwassee River on Hwy 411, north of Benton, Tennessee. They only accept cash, and they ask that women dress modestly. In my mind, that's a small price to pay for the best produce I've had in a very long time.

April 22, 2010

We had a little rain at our place on Tuesday, but not as much as I hoped. In all, I think we had about 3/10". That probably helped some, but the woods still seem awfully dry. It seems odd, after all the precipitation we had this winter. Some of the native azaleas - the flame azaleas - are in bloom on the ridges that face south, and some of the crabapples are blooming very nicely. The lady slippers have poked out of the ground, but I think they will need more rain to flower. I'm going to have to give up predicting what the dogwoods are going to do. Some are in bloom, and have been for a week or more, but there aren't nearly as many as there usually are. I'm not sure at this point whether there will be more to come if we get some more rain, or whether it just isn't a very good year for them.

The Polk County Ramp Festival is this Saturday. (Ramps are technically a lily, but they are usually referred to as wild onions or leeks, and they are a traditional sign of spring in the old mountain culture.) The menu is usually scrambled eggs with ramps, streaky meat (bacon from Benton's in Madisonville), white beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread. It's a fund raiser for the Polk County 4-H. They also serve sassafras root tea and boiled peanuts. There's always bluegrass and usually a couple of booths of craft vendors. This is an event that brings all the old people out, along with most of the local Tennessee politicians. You can usually buy bunches of ramps, and the spring wildflowers are usually blooming in the vicinity of the camp grounds.

The road through the gorge is now open, so you can reach the festival the usual way from Blue Ridge. Camp McCroy is on TN Hwy 30/315, between Hwy 64/74 and Reliance, Tennessee. From Blue Ridge, you would take Hwy 5 to McCaysville, cross the river, turn left, and continue on Hwy 68 through Copperhill to Ducktown. Turn left on Hwy 64/74 (toward Cleveland and Chattanooga). After you go through the Ocoee Gorge, you will see the beginning of Parksville Lake. Hwy 30/315 turns off to the right, toward Reliance. Camp McCroy is on the right, a few miles further along. (If you come to the forest service office on Hwy 64, you've missed the turn and gone too far.) The festival starts hopping about 10:00 AM, but it is best to get there early.

April 16, 2010

We had a little rain at our place yesterday, but I think that was a local event. It's been terribly dry, and I think it has affected the dogwoods. We have some in bloom, especially on the slopes that face south and get some sun, but they aren't out as much as I expected them to be at this point. It's always hard to predict what they are going to do, but if we don't get some significant rain this weekend, it might not be a peak year for them. I'm expecting a few more to be in bloom this weekend, and perhaps a lot more next weekend, depending on the weather. Other than it being dry, the weather has been wonderful.

You probably remember that some time ago, Fannin County bought a piece of property with a pretty good lake on it, to use as a reservoir. This was the first step toward a countywide water system. With Speaker Ralston's help, the county now has a water authority. It's turning out to be a great advantage for the county to have David Ralston as Speaker of the House. All of a sudden, these things are happening, instead of going into legislative limbo. Morganton is in the final stages of installing a spiffy new water system, so we are definitely making great strides in upgrading the infrastructure of the county.

I wanted to mention that the intersection in front of our office - Depot Street and West Main - is now a four way stop. (It used to be that traffic on Depot Street did not stop.) We had a pretty bad accident there the other day because someone hadn't noticed the change, so it would probably be good to be cautious there for the next little while, until everyone gets used to it.

The market is definitely looking up, and we're all encouraged by the activity we've seen the the past couple of weeks. Closings in Fannin County were up significantly last month, and while the number isn't as high as we would like it to be (42) the percentage increase is gratifying (30%). There was also a significant increase in lot and land closings across the MLS, which have been very slow lately. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues as we move into the late spring and summer. (Land sales traditionally go to sleep when the leaves are on the trees. We sell the most in the late fall, winter, and early spring.) All in all, the news is very encouraging.

As a reminder: There will be a Hemlock Help for Homeowners session held on Tuesday, April 20 at 6 pm at the former Appalachian Bank, now the Citizens & Southern Bank (above the CVS, just off 515 across from the Ingles Shopping Center). It is being sponsored by the Blue Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Fannin County Extension Service. The good news is that the trees can be saved, and much more economically than the cost of cutting them down. There are options both for do-it-yourself and professional treatment. There is also a help line at 706.429.8010. You can also visit www.savegeorgiashemlocks.org.

April 13, 2010

The weather has been absolutely beautiful. I had to go our Aska Road this morning, and it was amazing how green everything was and how much is blooming. The redbuds are still out, and the dogwoods are starting to bloom. The sarvis is mostly done, although I saw a few here and there. I even saw a little wisteria. The oaks are starting to leaf out, and the maples aren't very far behind.

We don't really have any more information on the military plane crash in the county than has been on the news, other than a lot of unconfirmed reports. It was a Navy T39N trainer, and it reportedly hit a tree after practicing a low level bombing run. We see these planes nearly every day in the county, and they are usually flying very low. The location has variously been reported as John's Mountain or Pickelsimer Mountain, which is south of Morganton off Hwy 60. Reports are that there are three dead and one missing at this point. Apparently, it also started a pretty good brush fire. One of our friends said she saw helicopters scooping huge buckets of water out of Lake Blue Ridge to drop on it

April 8, 2010

We've had temperatures as high as 84° on the porch, which is very unusual for this time of year. The dogwoods are starting to bloom, and today's rain will probably help. It has been dry for over a week, and I think they need a little moisture. It's always a bit hard to predict what the dogwoods will do, but at this point, I'm guessing that there will be some in bloom this coming weekend. The weekend of the 17th will probably be the peak, and there may still be some the following weekend.

The first sarvis bloomed on Saturday, and they will continue to be in bloom for a few days. (A lot of folks confuse them with dogwoods, but they come earlier, and have narrower petals, usually five, in a cluster.) Another of my classic signs of spring also came at my place on Saturday, when I saw the first Mourning Cloak. I've been hearing some turkey talk at dusk, but not as much as I expect at this time of year. (I don't know why I'm not hearing more. When I first wrote this yesterday, I was thinking that the coyote probably don't affect them much, because they are probably the smartest thing in the woods, and they roost in trees. But I was thinking of the adults. The young are very vulnerable, and the coyote may well be having a considerable effect on them. Before they can fly, about their only defence is the hen turkey's broken wing routine. I've seen that fool a pretty smart bird dog, but I don't know if it would fool a coyote, or a small pack of coyote. They might just eat all the chicks in one sitting.) I've also been hearing the male screech owl every night, a little bit later than dusk.

The Adventure Race is on for this Saturday, April 10. We're expecting about 80 teams to compete, and for the first time, the finish line will not be in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. The route is secret, of course, but they're calling it the "Three State Challenge," and it will include sections in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The finish line will be at the Ron Henry Horseshoe Bend Park on the Toccoa River. The easiest way to find it from Blue Ridge is to take Highway 5 north through McCaysville, cross the river, and turn right on Hwy 60 south. You drive a short distance along the river and turn right just before the railroad tracks, onto River Road. The park is a mile or so upstream. (You could also take Highway 60 north, and turn left on River Road at the Four Mile Grocery.)

The finish is expected to be around 1:00 PM. It's usually pretty much fun at the finish line. There's usually some last, somewhat silly task for the racers to perform just before the finish line, and there will be food vendors, activities for kids, and sponsor booths. The Natti Love Joys, our great local reggae band, will also be playing.

April 1, 2010

I wasn't going to post anything today, but I wanted to report that we saw some Eastern Screech Owl mating behavior from our porch after sundown last night. It was a beautiful, soft night, and it seemed appropriate for owl mating. We didn't get to see the whole dance, because our dogs made the owls nervous, but we saw both birds and heard them calling together. I still haven't heard any turkey talk, which seems unusual for this time of year.

March 31, 2010

I'm going to post my column early, because I know no one would take it seriously if I posted it tomorrow.

The weather is simply beautiful. Last night, the full moon shone like a searchlight in the woods, and today is an absolutely perfect day. The pollen has not gotten bad yet, so I'd have to say that this is about as good as it gets in terms of mountain spring.

There will be lots of Easter Egg Hunts this weekend. If that's your cup of tea, I'd suggest that you pick up a copy of the News Observer, which should have a full rundown of activities and locations.

There will be a Hemlock Help for Homeowners session held on Tuesday, April 20 at 6 pm at the former Appalachian Bank, now the Citizens & Southern Bank (above the CVS, just off 515 across from the Ingles Shopping Center). It is being sponsored by the Blue Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Fannin County Extension Service. The good news is that the trees can be saved, and much more economically than the cost of cutting them down. There are options both for do-it-yourself and professional treatment. There is also a help line at 706.429.8010. You can also visit www.savegeorgiashemlocks.org.

In a bit of spectacular legislative log rolling, the local chapter of Trout Unlimited has prevailed on Speaker Ralston to move a proclamation through the legislature proclaiming Fannin County the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia. We all knew that already, of course, but it is nice to get the recognition.

March 25, 2010

Yesterday was the nicest day of the year, with beautiful blue skies and a porch temperature of 70°. There's some chance of thunderstorms today. We're in a pattern where the weather will likely bounce around a bit from warm to chilly, before it settles in for deep spring.

We've got forsythia and daffodils in our neighborhood, and most of the trees are starting to bud out very well. There are no leaves on the sarvis yet, but I expect them to start fairly soon.

Dahlonega is hosting their Third Annual Celtic Music Festival this weekend, starting at 11:00 AM on Saturday and 1:00 PM on Sunday. It may also be happening Friday afternoon, but the information I have isn't clear on that point. 706.864.3711.

March 17, 2010

It has continued to rain off and on, but most everybody is fine with it, because it definitely feels like spring. I still haven't heard any turkey talk, but Clark Spratlin told me that he saw a gobbler doing the strut last week just off 515, a mile or so north of the "Zell Miller" scenic overlook between Jasper and Ellijay.

I'm continuing to see the migrants coming through. The other day, I saw five Great Blue Heron flying up Cutcane Creek. I've seen more than one heron fishing in the same place, of course, but I'm not sure I've ever seen more than one flying anywhere. So they may have been coming back through on their way further north. (One of my weirder birding experiences was years ago, when I saw hundreds of vultures flying in a line directory over Piney Mountain and then right over my cabin.) I haven't seen any woodcock, but I haven't been able to get out to look for them, either, so they may well be around and preparing to mate.

John Daly says he sold sixty-five pounds of corned beef today, so I guess word is getting around that he does a pretty good corned beef and cabbage.

The traditional mountain season is starting, with the opening day of turkey season this Saturday, March 20. The season is in until May 15. Remember that when you are out in the woods, if you hear owl calls, crow calls, or turkey calls, that they may be being made by a turkey hunter. Especially if they sound real bogus.

The opening day of trout is March 27. (It's always the last Saturday in March.) This isn't as big a deal as it used to be, now that we have the river and other good streams open year round, but a lot of people still have a traditional gathering of the tribes on this date.

In the old days, pretty much everyone closed up their cabin and went home after Thanksgiving, and didn't come back until the opening day of trout. That's all changed now, and it is probably the biggest change I've seen in the county over the past twenty-five years. These days, it really doesn't feel much different in town in December than it does in July, but back in the good old days, if you came up to your cabin in the winter, you pretty much had the place to yourself.

March 11, 2010

It has been a little drizzily lately, but we haven't had any heavy rain. The temperatures have warmed up quite a bit, and we actually saw 72° on the porch this week. On Tuesday evening, I heard the first tree frogs. There were a lot more last night. I haven't heard the peepers from the pond down in the meadow yet, but I imagine it won't be long. So far, I haven't heard any turkey talk, but I have continued to see the wildfowl coming through on their way north. What it all tells me is that the earth is waking up, and spring is finally coming.

I'll have to get out the record I have of toad and frog calls - kind of like the bird call recordings - and see if I can identify what I'm hearing this spring. I got the record last fall as part of a field guide, and I went through and marked which ones were in our range. One thing I discovered from doing that is that it is a lot easier to tell a Fowler's toad from an American toad by its call than by its markings. It turns out we have mostly American toads around our place. Unfortunately, these little guys drive my young dog nuts, and she occasionally goes crazy enough to grab one. That results in foaming at the mouth, and a quick trip to the hose bib to rinse her mouth out. That seems to discourage her from chasing them for ... about fifteen minutes. Fortunately, these guys aren't as poisonous as the Colorado River toad, which can actually kill a big dog. (Apparently, the frat boys out in their territory like to get their kicks by licking them. It's supposed to be a wild ride, but I confess I've never tried it.)

My email newsletter went out the other day. I featured the Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa this time, along with detailed directions and some nice photos taken by my friend - and wilderness advocate - Bruce Walters. If you aren't on that list and want to be, let me know and I'll sign you up. I usually discuss market conditions, give a few pointers on mountain life and cabin maintenance, and feature at least one cool place to go in the area. It would be nice if I had the time to post all that stuff on this website, too. But things being as they are, there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day, so I'm always behind, if not quite giving up on the idea.

If you want to see some wonderful photographs Bruce has taken of Goforth Creek, a pristine mountain creek in the Cherokee National Forest, go to the WaysSouth page on Facebook. Bruce has posted some gallery quality photos of the creek. There's also a very cool video of kayakers running the creek in the spring, when the water is high. They put in at the head of the creek, not far from the Kimsey Highway, and ride it all the way down to the Ocoee. It looks like a crazy thing to do, but if you are up to it, it looks like a wonderful ride. (By the way, for a long time I thought that "Goforth" was probably a reference to the mountain practice of baptizing in small creeks, but it turns out the creek was probably named for Dan Goforth, legendary Polk County hunter, or for his family.)

Unfortunately, Goforth Creek is endangered - along with about a dozen other pristine mountain creeks that supply the Ocoee with fresh water and living fish - by the ridiculous boondoggle known as Corridor K. That's right, a base price of $320 million, not counting the considerable cost of dealing with the acid rock, all to save exactly no minutes of travel time over making spot improvements to the existing road. Construction of this highway will benefit no one but the road builders, and it will destroy these wonderful, scenic creeks forever. It's a travesty, but it is going to be very hard work to get it stopped.

If you want to see this creek personally, you'll have to get around to the west side of Hwy 64, the Parksville/Ocoee Lake side, as it is on the far side of the rockslide in the gorge that is currently being removed. There is a small parking area where the creek crosses Hwy 64, and a good trail part of the way up the creek. There is actually a bigger waterfall a little further up, but you have to bushwack to get there. The road through the gorge is supposed to reopen at the end of March, but there is some skepticism here locally that it will be done by that time, so if you are planning a trip, it would be good to check.

March 3, 2010

We had about four inches of snow at our place on Tuesday. It came pretty fast between 8 AM and noon. It was a pretty wet snow, and some of the flakes must have been two inches across. It started to melt almost immediately, but there's still an inch or so left on the ground, and it is refreezing at night. While most of the main roads are perfectly clear, there are some difficulties getting around in some areas.

I wanted to get this column up early, because there is a lot happening this weekend.

First and foremost, on Saturday March 6, from 5:00 - 7:30 at the Appalachian Bank Community Room (up behind the CVS), is a Spaghetti Dinner. It is a benefit for Tuse Mallernee, the husband of Dianne Mallernee. Tuse is a woodworker and carver who was diagnosed with lymphoma last year. Dianne is very well known in our town, both as a business owner and as a volunteer. Most recently, she has done a lot of good work for Open Arms, the children's shelter. Dianne has recently had to resign her position at the News Observer, where she sold advertising, in order to look after Tuse while he was in treatment in Atlanta. This is a most worthy cause for very good people, and I hope that you can attend if you are able. Adults are $7, children 4-12 are $5, and under 4 are free. Take-out will be available. There will also be a silent auction and raffle and some other amusements. For more information 706.455.9586 or stacy_lewis@ucbi.com.

Second, the annual Helen Lewis Lecture, which is sponsored by the Craddock Foundation, is bringing prize winning novelist and mountaintop removal activist Silas House to Epworth for a lecture on Friday, March 5. His band, the Public Outcry, is scheduled to play at 7 PM and the lecture is slated for 7:30 PM. (I was horrified to learn the other day that mountaintop removal mining for coal is being done as close as Tennessee. If you are not familiar with this process, you can get information at www.tnleaf.org. As someone who was raised in Pennsylvania some years ago, it looks like strip mining to me, only much worse.) The lecture is being held at the Bonnie Higdon Reeves Campus, the college in Epworth. To reach Epworth from Blue Ridge, go north on Hwy 5 six to eight miles. After you pass the hospital, watch for Abernathy's Furniture on the left. Just past Abernathy's, turn left. Take the second right, which comes up in a few hundred yards. Go about a mile and turn left at the four-way stop. Helen Lewis is a sociologist who has retired to our area. We don't often get an author of House's caliber here - especially not this year, because the Writer's Conference has been cancelled due to lack of sponsorship - and it should be a good event.

John Daly, owner of Daly's Grill, the food cart located next to the BP station, is having his annual St. Patrick's Day feast March 17. It's corn beef and cabbage with carrots and potatos done by someone who knows how to do it right. Daly's Grill is open for breakfast and lunch, and is my favorite place for breakfast. It is mostly takeout, although there are a few seats inside. The corn beef dinner usually goes pretty fast, so if you want some, don't wait until the last minute. Daly's closes at 2 PM. Daly's is located next to the BP station that's down the hill from the McDonald's intersection, on West 1st Street. 706.455.0552.

"Leading Ladies" the comedy now playing at the Blue Ridge Community Theater has been extended until Sunday, March 14th. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 PM. Call 706.632.9223 for tickets and information.

February 25, 2010

We had a light dusting of snow last night, but most of it seems to have evaporated in the wind, which was high during the night. It's a beautiful day today, but very cold.

I have a correction to make. Last week, I quoted the News Observer as saying that we've had nine school closings this year. I just read a letter from the superintendent on the school website about make-up days, and he states that there have been six days missed. Perhaps the News Observer was counting some days where students were sent home early. As I said last week, the average number of school closings due to weather is six per year, but there's no doubt this has been a harder than average winter, with two substantial snow falls and a number of lighter snows.

The Blue Ridge Golf & River Club has partnered with AgSouth to offer a loan package for lot sales. According to their flyer, AgSouth is offering 80% financing and fixed rates for up to fifteen years. In addition, AgSouth is a cooperative and has returned "on average, 25% of the interest earned back to our borrowers." People seem to have the idea that it's hard to get a lot loan today, so it's nice to know that this financing is available. Let me know if you want to explore this option, and I'll get you the information.

Some of my longtime readers may remember that Rob Strangia shared some local weather information with us back in the fall. I heard from Rob again this week, and he's become a founding board member of Save Georgia's Hemlocks. They are planning to do some clinics for homeowners in the area, and he asked if I knew of any list of local property owner's associations so he could contact them. If anyone knows of such a list, please let me know. Also, if any of you are involved in a community association and would like to email the contact information to me, I'll forward it to Rob. It would be great if we had a list of homeowner's associations in the area, so we could all share information that might be of value to us all.

The road building interests have put on a big push to gain approval for the completion of the road project through the Ocoee Gorge known as Corridor K. I thought this was a ridiculous boondoggle from the start. But now it seems a route has been decided on by the Citizen Resourse Team, which is known as Option 8A. Option 8A is a new road through the gorge, at a higher elevation. It is projected to cost $320 million not including the cost of dealing with acid (pyric) rock. It will destroy hundreds of acres of the Cherokee National Forest, including a few pristine streams like Goforth Creek that provide the Ocoee River with unpolluted water and living fish. And, it will save a grand total of two minutes over the existing road. That's two minutes. Fixing the existing road would save the same two minutes, and the most important fix - widening the "trucker's curve" - is already being done. (These are TDOT's own numbers from February 17, 2010, and if you email me, I will be glad to email you the report in which they are found.) The boosters argue that we need it anyway, so we have an alternate route in the case of another rockslide. But that's only true if the existing road continues to be maintained by the state, which is highly unlikely. More likely, it will be abandoned to its fate, and we will have spent considerably more than $320 million and torn up all that national forest for ... the same two minutes we could have saved by fixing the existing road.

February 19, 2010

The snow is almost completely gone from Blue Ridge. Most of the other areas of the county are fairly free of snow. I still see snow on the mountains, so I'm not sure about access to the national forest, but I think most other locations - unless they just don't get any sun at all - should be reachable, at least during the day.

We probably had 2-3 inches at our place, starting Friday about 1 pm. Then it snowed a bit more off and on for the next couple of days and temperatures stayed below the freeze. It was a frustrating situation for me. We don't get any sun on our side of the mountain because it faces north, and I couldn't get safely out until Wednesday afternoon. That's the longest I recall being stuck at home over the years. We left Cynthia's car at the bottom of the mountain because we couldn't get it up the hill on Friday, and we couldn't even get it out of where we had left it until Wednesday morning.

Usually, the situation when it snows here is that it melts in the afternoon. If you live on top of the ridge as we do, you can go out, but the trick is to get back home before it refreezes, which is usually pretty close to sundown. The average winter snowfall is six inches, but it mostly comes in dribs and drabs. Maybe once every two or three years we have an inch or more at a time, and the kids grab their sleds and the parents grab their cameras. This year has been unusual because we've had a couple of pretty heavy snows.

According to the News Observer, the schools have been closed nine days this winter. That's in contrast to the average number of school closings per year, which is six. That usually isn't even as bad as it sounds, because the schools have to be extremely cautious. The school buses run far out into the outlying areas, and lots of times when school is out, most of the roads in the county are actually fine. This winter, it feels as if there were actually more days when the roads were difficult, because some of the snow came on the weekends.

Today, it feels like it is trying to be spring again, and I'm cautiously optimistic that the snow is over for the year and it really is going to turn into spring.

February 11, 2010

Well, it keeps acting like it wants to be spring, but winter just doesn't seem to want to let go. We had some more flurries this week and a light dusting of snow on Wednesday, but no serious travel difficulties. It has been a hard, cold winter by local standards. Most folks are ready for it to be over, and a lot of people are a still little crabby about the higher heating bills that came from that week of very cold weather.

The Chamber of Commerce held a press briefing on Tuesday, announcing progress on the development at the corner of 515 and Industrial, on the river just east of the Ingles center. According to our broker, who attended the meeting, they have apparently negotiated a contract with a well capitalized commercial developer for the construction of 110,000 square feet of retail space. June thinks they also have a contract with an anchor for the space. The project will reportedly create 150 jobs for Fannin County. They hope to break ground in six months. This is the "Gateway to Blue Ridge" project that we've heard about before, and just as before, there are some missing details. No word on whether Travis Tritt is involved, as was rumored, and no word on whether a hotel is still involved. Also, no word on who the anchor will be. While the jobs estimate is almost certainly inflated, there's no doubt that this will be a good project for Blue Ridge, and I hope it happens as scheduled.

February 5, 1010

It's raining again today, and it certainly feels as if we have made the turn into spring. I heard geese this morning flying up Cutcane Creek, so I imagine they are on their way back north already. While it isn't quite spring, it does feel as though it is on the way.

In real estate news, we continue to see better activity than we expected at this point in the year. I'm beginning to see some foreclosures that are really very aggressively priced. I had a sale a couple of weeks ago in Ellijay that I thought was one of the best I've seen in a long time, and I was very pleased for my buyers. They were able to buy a 3/2 with a two car garage for around $105,000, and I thought that it was probably worth at least $150,000 - $160,000. Some of the foreclosures continue to be optimistically priced, to say the least - especially if they are held by local banks - but the good news is that we are seeing more aggressive pricing from the out-of-town banks and from Fannie Mae.

This is a quiet weekend in town, so my best suggestion is probably to get out in the woods and enjoy some of the last quiet weeks of mountain winter. That's what I'm planning to do, anyway.

January 29, 2010

We have a forecast for up to five inches of snow today, starting at 1 PM. I know a lot of you like to come up and see the snow, but this time I might advise against it, because we're also supposed to get up to a half inch of freezing rain. As people who have been around Atlanta much know, that can lead to widespread power outages and long waits to restore power. Depending on how remote the location is, or how steep the road in, it might be a while before power is restored if there are widespread outages.

My list for this sort of thing goes something like this:

Make sure there's enough firewood up on the porch. Draw water into pots or into the tub for washing and make sure you have enough bottled water. Make sure there's propane for the grill. Make sure the flashlights are working. Make sure there's ice melt on the porch (wooden steps are very slick in the snow). Check the dog food. Make sure there's enough to eat for a few days. Make sure you have some hand sanitizer in case the water is off. Relax. Enjoy.

The Mustang Sally Band is scheduled to play Tin Loong in Blue Ridge (in the Ingles shopping center) on Saturday, January 30. According to the flyer, the party starts at 8:00 and the cover charge is $15. I imagine this will take place in the bar area. I can't remember the last time a national act played Blue Ridge, so this is a pretty big deal. In thinking back, the last time I remember a big act playing here was back in the late eighties, maybe 1988, when Travis Tritt played the BYOB club that was shortly afterwards shut down in the location that was later Cabin Fervor, just east of Dry Branch Road on the old highway.

January 22, 2010

The ice has finally all melted, and we're having some springlike weather, with rain and temperatures in the fifties. It feels like spring, but it probably won't last. I have seen a few years over the past twenty-five or so when spring has seemed to come as early as February 1st, but there aren't very many people who expect that to happen this year.

The real estate business seems to be picking up a little. I actually had three properties under contract in the first few weeks of the year. One has been taken off the board due to changes in the buyers' employment and personal situation, one has closed, and one is on the way to close next week. That's more activity in one month than I've had in quite some time, so it seems to be a favorable sign.

The one that has aready closed was a foreclosure in Ellijay. This is one of the ones that actually was a very good deal, and we're happy every time we can take a foreclosure off the market and get it back into private hands. That's the first thing we need in order to return to a normal market. We continue to think that 2010 will be a year of normalization in the real estate business, with a return to a modestly appreciating market in 2011. I'm continuing to see both resales and foreclosure sales at very good prices, and I continue to think that now is the time to buy for people who feel comfortable making a commitment. I don't think we'll see a better combination of price and interest rate in the foreseeable future.

We also have some very good incentives on lots and cottages at the Blue Ridge Golf & River Club, and I don't expect these pre-opening incentives to last forever. There are presently seven holes completely done, with two that are almost done (seeded to rye because it was too late in the year to sod). We expect to be playing golf sometime in the spring, and that will be a great thing to see.

In local news, John Foster has started a chain letter fund raising appeal for the library, taking out ads in the newspaper calling on people to make a $1 donation and pass the letter on to five other people. It's a creative - if unofficial - approach. John should be commended for standing up and saying that the library is important and trying to do something about it. It's been a tough period for charities and causes of all kinds, and the library and the Arts Association have been the targets of cost-cutting on the part of the county government. They need all the help they can get to keep providing the benefits to the county that they do.

Local attorney David Ralston has been chosen Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, the culmination of a long career as a state representative. Fannin County has historically been an outcast in Georgia politics because it has always been a staunchly Republican county in a traditionally Democratic state. Ten years ago, no one could have predicted that a politician from Fannin would achieve this position, long considered the most powerful in Georgia politics, so it really is a wonderful thing for Fannin County.

January 13, 2010

Well ... we're finally getting back to normal at our place after last Thursday's snow. We only got about an inch at our place, but the ground was already frozen, and every bit of it stuck. It started about 1:00 pm, and in a half hour, the roads were a mess.

Most of the main roads are fine, although school is still closed today (Wednesday). At our place, the back way in - which we use in the snow - was closed because the culvert froze and water ran over the road at a bad spot. And the road over the top of the mountain was also icy.

So today is really the first day that it's been at all normal. The temperature in town today is about 36 at 2:00 pm.

This was an unusual event. It has often gotten this cold or colder, but this is the first spell I can recall where it has been so cold for so long. Most mornings started out at 11 at our place, and it's been that way for almost ten days.

There have been many reports of frozen water pipes, so if you left your cabin without turning off the water at the curb box, you probably should check to make sure your pipes didn't freeze. As you probably know, they don't burst when they are frozen, but when they thaw out. If the pipe cracks or bursts and the water is on, you're in for a mess. An expensive mess, usually.

January 4, 2010

I wanted to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

We're experiencing some really cold weather. We had 11 degrees on the porch the last two mornings, and the wind chill has been a thrill. Worse, it's supposed to stay cold for a while.

We had a nice situation this morning. It turned out that our neighbor's hot tub drain was left open after cleaning, and it ran down my driveway and froze. So now we can't get out or in the driveway, and it looks like that might be the way it is for a while.

In any case, hope you all had a great holiday, and best wishes for the coming year. Many of our local folks are saying that it can't possibly be worse than last year, and I certainly hope that's true.

December 18, 2009

I probably won’t get a chance to post a column next week, so I want to take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday. Obviously, it was a tough year in the real estate business again this year, but I suspect it was a tough year in almost any business.

They’ve been running the old dog pretty hard lately, so I haven’t had a chance to just sit back in front of the fire and take stock the way I sometimes do at this time of year. But I do know that I have a lot to be thankful for in many ways, and a hope that all of you have a little time off with family and friends this holiday season.

On a sad note, the Country Smokehouse, my favorite meat market in Blairsville, is closing their doors after December 23rd. The owner, Kenley Redditt, plans to do more country fairs and festivals and - beginning in the spring - sell some retail products through local stores. He also plans to offer Brasstown Beef – a high quality natural product raised locally - for quantity orders only (through his old phone number 706.781.6516). This is sad news for me because I enjoyed going in there, and I wish Kenley and the crew – Walter, David, Shirley – the best luck.

Although it’s a longer trek from Blue Ridge, from now on I’ll be shopping at the Corner Butcher Shop in Hayesville. It’s in the old downtown of Hayesville, 828.361.3364.

December 10, 2009

We've had about three inches of rain and some high winds, but the winds didn't seem to get destructively strong in most areas. I was in Ellijay yesterday, and he winds down there were definitely stronger than they were in Blue Ridge. They would definitely have done more damage if the leaves had still been on the trees, because the ground was definitely saturated. I saw little creeks and "dry branches" running strong that are normally just a drip, and that continued for a full day after the rain stopped. Most of the creeks seemed to crest a few feet below flood stage.

It's a fairly quiet weekend in town. The Christmas sale continues at the Arts Center in the old courthouse on West Main Street, Tuesday - Saturday until 4:00 pm.

Also, the Childern's Christmas play opens tomorrow night (Friday) at the Blue Ridge Community Theater and will play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon for the next two weekends (December 11 - 20). It is "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," and was written by L. Frank Baum, the author of "The Wizard of Oz."

December 4, 2009

There's a threat of some snow after 1:00 AM this morning, but they have lessened the severity of the forecast since this morning, so it is hard to say if it will happen.

Light Up the Basin is tonight. Here's the official description. "Copper Basin Residents, young and old are invited to help throw the switch to 'Light Up the Basin' for the holiday season. Local communities coordinate their Christmas Lighting Ceremonies in a single evening of celebration the night before the annual Kiwanis Christmas Parade. The evening begins at 6 pm, at the McCaysville Branch of United Community Bank, where Mayor Buddy Finch helps light McCaysville's official Christmas Tree. A procession of Christmas carolers then parades by candlelight to the Copperhill Branch of the BB&T Bank, for another tree lighting ceremony. Participants then make their way to Copperhill City Hall, to help Mayor Herb Hood light Copperhill's Yule tree. The crowd then moves back down Grande Avenue for the lighting of the wreath of the Old Steel Bridge. Following the tree lightings, celebrants warm up with free hot chocolate and cookies, at Rivers Crossing Mall. Santa Claus will pay a special visit at 6:30 pm, to listen to the wish lists of local youngsters. There are free candy canes for all children in attendance, and free pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus."

There will also be a Christmas Village in Copperhill/McCaysville tomorrow, as well as the Kiwanis Christmas Parade in McCaysville.

Also Saturday, the Tri-State Model Railroaders Christmas Open House will be at the historic depot in Mineral Bluff.

And, for my hot, top secret tip, St. Catherine's in Copperhill is having a "Christkindl Markt" where they will be selling (gasp) traditional Lebanese Meat Pies. (Copperhill has a strong Lebanese and Greek heritage, among others, and some of these ladies are fantastic cooks.) That's from 9:00 - 5:00 tomorrow. To reach the Church: Turn right at the first light as you travel north. The Mexican restaurant will be on your left. Go up the hill, cross the tracks, and turn right.

November 27, 2009

It's a beautiful day today, clear and cold. At this point, most of the leaves are off the trees, and there are some beautiful views from our place. (We didn't cut all the trees down, day one, so we have something to look forward to when the leaves come off. We did do a little cutting so we could see the Big Frog and Hemptop year round, and there was already a powerline cut that allows us to see the pasture below our place.)

I'm seeing some of the waterfowl come through. On the little pond near Loving Road and 515, where the RV park was built, I saw a flight of mergansers on Wednesday. There were five drakes and four hens. I've also seen some mallards and migrating geese. I haven't been up to Mercier's to check the retention pond, but I wouldn't be surprised if the buffleheads were there soon. One of my colleagues reported that he heard a cuckoo last week, and Cynthia said that she thought she saw one on her walk the other day, so some of them must be coming through.

Tonight is the Christmas Village in Copperhill. That's Santa Claus and some live entertainment. That's from 6:00 - 10:00 PM.

Saturday is Light up Blue Ridge. Tuba Christmas is on the main stage at 11:00 AM. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus arrive on the train at 12:30. Photos with Santa are free. There will be live reindeer, children's trackless train rides, and other entertainment. The lighting of the Great Tree is at dusk. The downtown shops will also be open late.

November 18, 2009

It's overcast today, but we've been having some beautiful fall weather, with morning temperatures around 40° and afternoon temperatures around 65°. The leaves have started to fall pretty good, and most, if not all of the fall color is gone from the woods.

It's very strange being a real estate agent. By now, most of us are used to receiving and replying to daily email requests for information and never receiving an acknowledgement, much less a thanks, for the information. But I had a new one the other day. Someone emailed me through my website and asked how long Highway 64 will be closed, but didn't include any contact information. In any case, Highway 64, through the Ocoee Gorge, will be closed for perhaps two months due to a major rock slide. Depending on where you are starting from, the detour would be either Highway 68 to Tellico Plains and then 30 & 310 to 411 at Etowah or Highway 76 from Ellijay to Highway 411 south of Chatsworth.

Needless to say, the proponents of the great boondoggle known as Corridor K have seized on this rockslide as "proof" that a four-lane road must be built through the middle of the Cherokee National Forest. This is completely irrational because Interstate 40 is currently closed by a rockslide northwest of Asheville, and it will likely be closed longer than Highway 64. There is absolutely nothing that makes four-lane roads immune from rock slides. In fact, since more rock is exposed, they may be more liable for rock slides. The Tennessee DOT recently admitted, to the Chattanooga Times, that they know of many sites of potential rock slides all over Tennessee but that they are too costly to remediate in advance of an actual slide. Of course, the people who will profit from building this road are ignoring this fact, as are the local boosters, who remain blinded by promises of instant prosperity. The truth is that while building a four-lane road through the Ocoee Gorge will probably bring a few more gas stations, fast food outlets, and motels to Ducktown, it will also completely destroy the tourism that is currently the economic base of the area. It seems self-evident that people will not come to Ducktown from all over the United States to see a four-lane road. After all, they have those at home.

I've been trying to establish a historical rainfall figure for Fannin County, so I can compare this year's rainfall with historical norms. Everyone thinks that we've had an unusually rainy year, although my own feeling is that it is really more close to a normal year. I think that the four-year drought has just gotten us used to very little rainfall. In terms of a figure for historical norms, I've heard everything from 120 inches to 90 inches to 60 inches. The information on GeorgiaWeather.net doesn't seem reliable to me, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, since I've been watching it, they've changed the amount of average rainfall from 1961 to 1990. How can that change? They report yearly rainfall to date as 63.61, which is probably fairly accurate. Eddie Ayers, our extension agent, tells me that according to a Soil Conservation publication, the 1960 - 1990 average was 62 inches. If that's so, we're actually having a fairly average year this year, compared to historical norms. In other words, even though everyone thinks we're having a very wet year, we aren't really, just an average year. Based on my memories of the period from 1985 - 1995, I think that's probably pretty close to correct.

I just got an interesting reply from Rob Strangia, who says he has a degree in Geography and is a GIS Professional (but not a professional meterologist). Here's what he has to say on the question of annual rainfall: "I read your column regularly & can answer some of your questions about the average rainfall in the mountains. Yearly rainfall in Blue Ridge (the city) is just over 60 inches per year. With a year-to-date total of over 63 inches, we are well above normal for the year because we still have half of Nov. & all of Dec. to add to these totals. Rainfall averages of over 80 inches that you cite, only occur in a few isolated high elevation locations in Georgia. These are mainly located in extreme Northeast Georgia. Rain fall in the mountains is highly elevation and slope exposure dependent. Generally the higher elevation, the more rainfall. Especially on mountains southern and eastern exposures. While the elevation of Blue Ridge is about 1800 feet, many of the mountains in the Cohuttas and in the southern part of the county are near 4000 feet. These highest peaks likely have yearly rainfall averages of 70-80 inches. Interesting, the Northwestern slopes of these mountains recieve the most snow. I've been hiking in knee deep snow up on Big Frog when there was just a dusting in McCaysville."

November 11, 2009

We had about four inches of rain at our place yesterday. Not a downpour, just mostly steady rain. The high winds that were predicted have not materialized as of 5:00 PM. That's good. If they do come, we will probably have a lot of trees come down, because the ground is so saturated.

There is still some color in the woods. The yellows and golds are gone, but we have a lot of reds. Some are bright reds, but most are kind of rusty reds. Still, it's very pretty when the sun comes out.

November 5, 2009

We've been having some wonderful fall weather this week, a welcome change from the rain we had last Saturday. It didn't spoil the Halloween Safe Zone festivities, but it did make them a little cold and rainy.

Donna Whitener defeated Robert Greene for Mayor of Blue Ridge in Tuesday's election. The turnout was fairly low, less than half of the registered voters, and the margin of victory was 29 votes. Whitener received 169 and Greene 140. Mayor Greene has been in office for twenty-five years, and Blue Ridge voters have obviously been obviously pleased with his performance over the years. On the other hand, the downtown merchants often felt misunderstood and neglected during his term in office, and the election of Whitener should improve things on that front, as she is herself a retailer in Blue Ridge. (She owns Town & Country Furniture on the Orrin Lance Connector.) In the Blue Ridge councilman elections, both incumbents were defeated, with Rhonda Thomas and Harold Herndon winning those seats.

October 28, 2009

The leaves are peaking. At this point I don't expect any more color. We've had a very good display of yellow and gold, with some reds from the sourwoods and dogwoods, but we didn't get many deep reds from the oaks. Still, it has been very beautiful hereabouts. Today was a beautiful fall day, and we're expecting a few more in the next week.

This weekend the Halloween Safe Zones are in Copperhill Friday evening and in Blue Ridge Saturday evening. This is a lot of fun for the kids, and the grownups usually have a pretty good time, too.

The rescheduled Rivers Alive Cleanup is set for Saturday, November 7. There are three work stations planned, Shallowford Bridge, Horseshoe Bend Park, and Tammin Park. If you are planning to volunteer for the first time, I'd recommend going to Tammin Park, just off 515 immediately to the east of Blue Ridge. They will have supplies and will get you started. The original date was a rainout due to the heavy rains and rising water.

October 23, 2009

The leaves seem to have turned overnight. All of a sudden, the woods are full of yellow and gold colors. The sourwoods and dogwoods had already turned red, but the hickories and maples just turned. There are still a lot of oaks that are green, so I imagine more color is to come, but it was very pretty this morning.

This is the last weekend for the Harvest Festival in Blue Ridge. See the entry below for details.

This weekend is also Paws in the Park from 10:00 - 3:00 in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. The activities include a pet parade, the blessing of the pets, costume contest, exhibitions, rabies clinic, microchipping, and more. For more information call 706.455.2860. The parade begins at 10:00 at the corner of East Main and Summit. Pets must be on leash.

The Friends of the Library will have a book sale on Saturday from 9:00 - 5:00 at the Blue Ridge United Methodist Church fellowship hall. That's in downtown Blue Ridge, across from the park, close to our office and next to the fire station. Paperbacks are fifty cents, and hardbacks are $2 to $5. There is a special "bag sale" from 4:00 - 5:00.

October 19, 2009

We had a pretty good frost last night. I don't think it was a really hard frost or a hard freeze, but it was close. We had 32° on the deck this morning. I imagine it was colder down in the valley, because the wind stopped blowing and the cold had a chance to settle. The past couple of days were very unseasonably cold, with a biting wind. The next few days are supposed to be beautiful, cold in the morning, but warming nicely in the afternoon. Today is one of the most beautiful fall days we've had all year.

The Forest Supervisor has closed the Upper Tellico OHV area permanently, primarily because sediment was getting into the river. The road from Allen Gap to the state line will remain open and will be improved, with more pavement near the river to correct the existing sedimentation problems (FS 420-1).

This coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday (October 24th and 25th) from 9:00 - 5:00, is the final weekend of the Mountain Harvest Arts and Crafts Sale. This is held at the Farmer's Market off the old highway, close to the Swan Drive-in Theater. For recorded information, 706.374.2335. This is a good place to get mountain crafts, traditional canned goods and relishes, and other items. There are also usually some good food vendors. Admission and parking is free.

October 8, 2009

We've had about two inches of rain this week, but today is a beautiful, fall day that started at 48°. I'm starting to see a little fall color in the dogwoods, and I'm still expecting a good leaf season because of the rain.

This weekend starts the Fall Festival at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, which runs from October 9 - 18. Here's the official announcement: "Arts, crafts & exhibits. Clogging, singing, authentic mountain demonstrations, pioneer village, kiddie rides and a new show, Kay Rosaires Big Cat Encounter. Regional food and lots of fun for the whole family. Also included in this is the Ole Time Fiddlers Convention. Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 706-896-4191." If you have never been, this is well worth attending. The exhibit halls alone are worth the price of admission, and there is a complete restored one-room school.

Fannin County has purchased an old quarry to use for future water supply and storage, a hopeful first step toward a countywide water system. It was tested for water quality and replenishment rate, and is thought capable of producing 77,000 gallons of water per day, or up to 210,000 gallons with supplemental wells. Our county officials should be congratulated for this move, which indicates an emphasis on planning for the future that hasn't always been our strong point. The purchase price was a modest $360,000 for the twenty acres that include the quarry.

While we are on the subject of water, I've written before that our area historically has received about 120 inches of rain annually. While this is the accepted figure for the southern Appalachians as a whole, the data on georgiaweather.net tells a different story. According to this site, the annual average rainfall for Fannin County was 49.43 inches from 1961 - 1990. The total for 2007 was 27.68 and for 2008 37.39. The totals for 2006 and 2007 are not available on this site. Year to date, we have had 52.96 inches. (For recent years, the weather station has been located at Mercier's Orchards.) This means that we are experiencing a normal year after four years of severe drought. I wish I could say that the trees and shrubs are happy, but I continue to see trees dying in the woods. Perhaps they were already dying due to the drought, or perhaps after trying to adapt to the drought, this year was simply too wet. Unfortunately, many of the dead trees I see are mature dogwoods, but they are not the only ones that are affected.

October 1, 2009

We've had some beautiful fall weather this week, the kind that makes you glad to be alive. Mornings around 50° and afternoons around 60°. The Hunter's Moon is Sunday, but it's already shining like a spotlight in the woods. It's prime time in the mountains, and I hope you plan to come up soon to experience it. See the mid-week column below for my best pick for this weekend.

September 28, 2009

The good news is that we didn't get much flooding. We had a little more than five inches of rain over the past week or so, and it was heavy at times, but we didn't get hit anywhere near as hard as they did in Atlanta. I understand that Silver Fox Trail, out in Dial, was closed briefly due to flooding, but that is about the extent of it. Apparently, the watershed of both the Toccoa and the Hiwassee did get a lot of rain, and the TVA is letting water out of the dams at a huge rate. I've never seen the Hiwassee as high as it was last week.

I have to apologize again for not getting my column up on schedule. It was a case of attempted vacation, and I forgot to do it before I left the office. Thanks to everyone who emailed to remind me. It makes me feel good that so many people look forward to reading it.

One local event was postponed due to high water, the Rivers Alive cleanup. It has been rescheduled for November 7.

The weather has felt distinctly like early fall, with noticeably cooler temperatures. Some leaves are starting to fall, and the katydids are decreasing in numbers. I've seen the first migratory waterfowl in the county, and the fall warblers are still coming through. I'm the worst on identifying warblers, but I was able to identify a beautiful mature male Hooded Warbler on Sunday. He was hanging out in the the oak trees in my yard, so he wasn't far from the field guide.

On the subject of birds, I've been puzzled for years by a call I've heard occasionally in the spring and late summer. I heard it last around August 10th. This time, I was able to record it decently on my Blackberry, and I emailed it to Giff Beaton, an expert on Georgia birds. He was able to identify it as a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which should have been obvious to me, except that the rare times I've been able to observe calling cuckoos, they weren't making that call. Instead, they were making a much softer, if reasonably similar, call. After years of chasing around and trying to get a decent look at the bird, it's nice to finally be able to match the bird with the call. I believe that the birds I hear calling are transients, rather than summer-long residents, because I only seem to hear them occasionally.

The Moving Wall, the 1/3 scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, is coming to Murphy October 8-12. I've never seen it before, so I plan to go. For those you you who haven't explored Murphy, it is about a half hour from Blue Ridge.

Also, this weekend, October 3-4 (Saturday and Sunday) is the Fall Festival at the John C. Campbell Folk School from 10:00-5:00. This is one of our best festivals, with over 200 crafts vendors, craft-making demonstrations, exhibitions on traditional mountain arts, kid's activities, and live music all day long. You can get to the Folk School through either Murphy or Young Harris, but for the best directions from Blue Ridge, see my "Day Trips" section on this website.

September 12, 2009

We had about an inch of rain last week, and the weather has continued to seem a bit like fall. I'm beginning to see some of the fall warblers come through, but no great quantity of migrating waterfowl.

Let's do the real estate news first, and then the local events. In real estate news, we are continuing to see the market improve, with more buyer activity than we have enjoyed in quite some time. The last two months were the best we've had in a year and a half. We feel pretty certain that we have finally bottomed out and are beginning to climb back out of the hole. Our fall activity will tell us more, because the fall is our traditional selling season. Obviously, there is a lot of inventory still out there to be absorbed. But most of the foreclosures that were any good are gone, and we're pretty much into the stuff that isn't going to sell until the local banks decide to get a lot more real about prices. That's good news for people who want to sell their cabin. It's time for them to get back in the market, so long as they are willing to place an aggressive price on their property. In our current market, price is still the great driver, and the expectation on the part of the buyers is that they are going to get a very good deal. But we are beginning to sell places that are priced correctly in all price ranges.

Unfortunately, those people who are clinging to the idea that their place is worth what it was worth in 2005, the year prices peaked, are going to have to settle in for the long haul. Not only will it take a number of years to fully recover from the current economic disaster, but there may be considerable downward pressure on prices of existing cabins from the new "green" alternatives that are beginning to appear in our marketplace. If this movement catches hold, it will tend to make existing cabins in our market functionally obsolete, because the vast majority of them were not built with any attention to energy efficiency.

The federal first time home buyer tax credit is set to expire at the end of November. This means that transactions will have to be closed by midnight on November 30 to qualify. Given that closings seem to be taking longer these days, that means that people who want to take advantage of this program should have properties under contract as early as possible. One month's time may be enough to get a property closed, but there are several things that can cause delays. We think that to be completely safe and not risk leaving that money on the table, people should aim to have properties under contract by the end of September or the first two weeks in October to have the best shot at closing in time to claim the credit.

The Wildlife & Nature Art Festival and Expo (the former Wildlife Arts Festival) is next weekend, September 19-20 in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. There is a modest admission charge of $3 again this year. For those of you who have asked why this is necessary, I imagine it is because our current county chairman does not perceive the economic benefit the Arts Association provides our community and is cutting their funding drastically.

On September 26, the Rivers Alive cleanup will be held on the Toccoa River. This year, there will be three stations: Shallowford Bridge, Horseshoe Bend, and Tammin Park. If you want to volunteer for this worthwhile activity, the easiest thing to do would probably be to go to Tammin Park in the morning. The Trout Unlimited people will be manning this station and distributing supplies.

Speaking of the river and Trout Unlimited, Bill Oyster, maker of fine bamboo fly rods, has opened up a shop on East Main Street where he is also holding classes. His classes aren't cheap - $1390 for six days of instruction - but you leave with a finished bamboo fly rod produced under Oyster's supervision. This is another feather in the cap of Blue Ridge, which has attracted some very talented artists and craftspeople. Oyster's website is www.oysterbamboo.com.

October 3-4 is the Fall Festival at the John C. Campbell Folk School.

September 4, 2009

We've had a mix of rain and sunshine this week, and for the first time, it has felt a little like fall. I'm still seeing fawns that have just lost their spots, the mushrooms continue to spring up everywhere, and I'm not seeing many migrating waterfowl, so we're still in a basically summer pattern. But the cooler weather has felt great. It should be just wonderful weather for the big weekend.

Monday is the Labor Day Barbecue in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. I'll pass on one tip from experience. There are two lines, one for tickets and one for food. If you buy an advance ticket, you can skip the ticket line. You can pick them up at the Chamber of Commerce, which is on Lance Drive, across 515 from the Ingles Shopping Center. There will be musical entertainment by Victory's Song, Hogsed Brothers, Looking Up, Caylor Family, Blue Ridge Dulcimer Players, River Park Band, Mountain Rascals and Dirt Road Band. The festivities start at 11:30 and go until the food runs out. On Sunday, September 6, there is a interdenominational worship service in the park at 6:00 pm, followed by an old-fashioned ice cream social. This is a benefit for the Good Samaritan Fund.

There will be a mountain bike race on September 13, the Black Bear Rampage. It is being held at the Ocoee Whitewater Center on the Tanasi Trail System. There are a number of different classes. The entry fee is $85 and includes a meal. For more information or to register for the race, 423.472.9881.

The Wildlife & Nature Art Festival and Expo (the former Wildlife Arts Festival) is scheduled for September 19-20 in the downtown Blue Ridge Park.

August 28, 2009

We've had about 1-1/4 inches rain over the past day or so, and the mushrooms continue to go wild. The katydids are still singing, although I'm beginning to see some who have completed their life cycle. With all this rain, I have to believe that we're going to have the best fall leaf season in quite some time, although the trees are clearly still pretty stressed from four years of drought.

Many of you have signed up to receive my email newsletter, where I write monthly about market conditions, things to do, and cabin know-how. I made a mistake in my article there on the Ducktown Basin Museum that I want to correct. I said that there were occasional mine tours, which isn't true. I must have misread something or misinterpreted something that happened in the past. Still, it is a fascinating place to visit.

The Camp Reggae festival in Isabella, Tennessee is celebrating its tenth anniversary. It is scheduled this year for September 4 - 6, with music from 6 pm to midnight. This is the brainchild of the Natti Love Joys, one of the best reggae groups in the county. The lineup this time includes The Movement, Jahniceness, I.R.E., Fat Penguin, Hodgepodge Orchestra, Beelzebong, DJ Soljah, Aviva and the Flying Penguins, Barking Dogs & Shotguns, and Prophecy High Power. You can get all the information at www.myspace.com/tattilovejoys or www.campreggae.com. Congratulations to Marla and Jati on this anniversary.

See below for information on two barbecues, to be held this weekend and next weekend.

August 22, 2009

We've had a little over an inch of rain this week, in several thunderstorms, one of which was pretty impressive. The weather has been very nice since the remnants of the hurricane blew out of here, and today is a beautiful day.

I had an interesting plant come up in my yard for the first time, Pinesap. This is a relative of Indian Pipe, except it has many smaller flowers on each stalk. In the spring, apparently it comes up white, but in the fall, more red colored. Mine were a beautiful yellow and rusty pink. Like the Indian Pipe, it has no chlorophyll. It is usually a saprophyte, feeding on dead tree roots. Apparently, it can also be parasitic. Mine were definitely feeding on tree roots, under the hardwoods in the woods.

The isn't too much wild excitement in town this weekend, but there are two good events coming up.

Next Saturday, the Feed Fannin group - a community garden project - is hosting a "Farm to Table Lunch" at the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market in front of the Boardertown Grill on 515 (just north of June Walker Chevrolet, in the building with Cohutta Pet & Feed). The menu is pulled pork from the Roadhouse and fresh vegetables from the group's three local gardens. Plates are $8 per person, and tickets are available at Cohutta Feed, the Boardertown Grill, Out of the Blue, L&L Beanery, United Community Bank, Appalachian Community Bank, and - of course - at the Farmer's Market. The event is August 29 from 11:00 - 3:00. It is for the benefit of Feed Fannin and the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market.

Labor Day is late this year, August 7th. But the Labor Day Barbecue is always worth waiting for! The menu is usually ribs or chicken with beans, cole slaw, and choice of homemade dessert. The last few years, they also had a pulled pork sandwich option. It is held in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. Here's the official announcement. Everyone welcome, come downtown on Monday for great family style entertainment, featuring Ole Time Music, Bluegrass and Gospel. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (or until the food runs out) All the fixings including drink and dessert. Popular event don't miss it! Sponsored by The Good Samaritans of Fannin County Inc. Proceeds fund interdenominational benevolence. Event held rain or shine, the tents will be up. For more information, call Carlie Hammond 706-455-3818.

August 17, 2009

Well, I missed getting a column up last week, basically a problem of time and distance, because I can only post it at my work computer. Thanks to everyone who emailed me to remind me. It makes me feel good that so many people look forward to reading it.

We had about a half an inch of rain at our place last week, just when it looked as though it was going to stay dry for a while. I'd say we've had normal rainfall this summer, at least once a week with possibly one exception. Despite this, I'm sorry to say that my woods still looks awfully stressed and dry. I've probably said this before, but I think there is probably about half of the total vegetation there was twenty-five years ago, when we were still a real temperate rain forest with 120 inches of rain a year. The white oaks seem to be the hardest hit of the big trees, and the dogwoods are probably the hardest hit of the smaller, ornamental trees. I don't know where it is all headed, but it seems likely to me that we'll need a couple of more years of what is now considered normal rainfall before things begin to really recover. On the plus side, I'm expecting a pretty good fall leaf season because of the rainfall. We haven't had a real good one for the past couple of years.

As usual at this time of year, our property has become a mycologist's paradise. I wouldn't be surprised if I've seen 150 varieties of mushrooms in the past three weeks. I imagine that the soil temperatures in August, along with the rain, facilitate their emergence. We get a lot every year, but this year seems especially good for them. Unfortunately, I've never seen the edible morels in our area, although I have heard reports from the Chattanooga and Knoxville areas. I used to gather them by the bushel when I was in Indiana, so I know something about them. But I just haven't encountered them here.

While we are on nature subjects, I wanted to mention that one of the most incredible books I've seen in recent years was recently published by the University of Georgia Press, Dragonflies and Damselflies of Georgia and the Southeast, by Giff Beaton.The photography in this book is incredible, but it seems to me that the organization of the book also sets a new standard for field guides. It gives a clear explanation of the life cycle and life activities of the odonates, along with a list of sites in Georgia that are considered especially good for viewing. (The closest one to us is Lake Conasauga, in the Cohutta Wilderness Area.) The book is virtually an art book, with an amazing quality of photographs and production for a field guide. No doubt, this was aided by a grant from the Wormsloe Foundation, because I don't think that the book could have been done without a sizable grant. Mr. Beaton also has a neat website with bird and dragonfly photographs and field notes, www.giffbeaton.com.

August 7, 2009

We're had about a half inch of rain this week, and the very high humidity seems to have abated. It's warm in downtown Blue Ridge, but back at home, the weather has been simply beautiful, ideal for work or play.

For those of you who check in here to see what's happening in the real estate market, I can report that we have preliminary numbers for July. We had 54 sides in our office in July, which easily beats June. June was the best month we've had in the past fourteen months, so July was the best month we've had in the past fifteen months. In other words, things are starting to sell, and the trend is continuing. ("Sides" refers to the two sides of every transaction, the "side" that represents the buyer and the "side" that represents the seller. Very occasionally these days, someone will "be on both sides" of a transaction, so 54 sides may not exactly equal 54 sales, but it is probably pretty close.) Given that there were only 202 sales in the entire six-county MLS in June, our 54 sides in July constitutes a very strong performance. (Our sales meeting has been rescheduled for later in the month, so I won't have the final numbers available until August 20th).

I know you all will ignore this, because nobody listens to what we say (although that doesn't keep everybody from blaming us for not telling them). But ... cabins are starting to sell. Most of the foreclosures that really were smoking deals are gone, and some of the really good deals in the normal resale market have been sold. I think we may have reached the tipping point. Obviously, I don't have a crystal ball, and if something catastrophic happens nationally, all bets are off. But I'm expecting interest rates to rise this winter and for more of the really good inventory to sell this fall, which is our traditional selling season. If you're waiting to see if prices to go lower, I think you may be disappointed. If you are serious about wanting a place up here, I think you should come up and have a look.

It's a different matter with land. We're still not selling much land. Part of that is that the local banks aren't making many construction loans. (I think BB&T is an exception.) Part of it is that the builders aren't buying any land right now. There are some really great deals out there now on subdivision lots, but I'd be careful to make sure that all the infrastructure is in place before I'd buy. Things being as they are, I wouldn't advise buying into a subdivision where the water isn't in, the roads aren't paved, and there isn't anything already built. I'd want to see those things in place before I'd buy a subdivision lot right now. Larger, individual lots, big enough for a well and a septic, might be a better alternative, and there are some good deals on those right now, along with smaller and larger tracts of land.

Well ... I can't believe it's August. It's definitely time to have some of the summer fun that we all promised ourselves, or we'll be kicking ourselves all winter. I hope you have a few things planned, and if they involve Blue Ridge, I hope to see you in town.

July 31, 2009

We've had some good rain this week, probably about 2-1/2 inches at our place so far, and we're expecting more rain off and on. It's welcome, because it was beginning to get dry.

About the most exciting thing that's happening this weekend is Smokey Bear's Birthday Party at the Ocoee Whitewater Center on Hwy 64 a few miles west of Ducktown. It might be a good choice for kids. It takes place from 10:00 - 2:00 with the cake cutting at 1:00. There will be prizes, games, and some activities. Of course, Smokey Bear will be there.

The Blue Ridge Farmer's Market has moved to Cohutta Feed & Seed, which is just past June Walker Chevy on the right (if you are coming from Atlanta on 515). The hours are 8:00 - 12:00. This is a true farmer's market with local growers selling their produce.

July 22, 2009

We've been having a delightful cool spell, with morning temperatures in the mid-fifties or low sixties. It's been just glorious, sleeping with the windows open and listening to the katydids and other night sounds.

In real estate news, the market has picked up quite a bit recently. We had the best month in June that we've had in the past fourteen months, in terms of sales in our company. I imagine the same is true across the board. We usually slow down heading into July and August, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year. We seem to be on track to do better in July than we did in June.

The Victorian House restaurant (on West Main Street a few doors down from our office) has just obtained a beer and wine license. The Blue Ridge Brewery, across Depot Street from our office (in the former Blue Christmas location) is being worked on extensively prior to opening, and the new tenants are showing a lot of enthusiasm and energy. Other local licenses by my count: Repaz on East Main, Blue Jeans on Mountain Street, the Boardtown Grill on 515, El Sol off 515 next to the Appalachian Bank, and Tin Loong on 515 next to the Ingles, and Cucina Rustica on 515 at Forge Mill (east of Blue Ridge). The Toccoa River Restaurant has lost theirs, and the Lilly Pad on Aska Road is trying to organize a private club.

All but two of these licenses are in the city, not the county. The county is charging $10,000, while the city is charging $2,000. Bill Simonds made a motion to lower the county licensing fee to $5,000 from $10,000 - a step in the right direction, I suppose - and Garnett Webb and Steve Morris ignored it. So no action was taken. I suppose this reflects the view on the part of Webb and Morris's supporters that if there has to be sin in Fannin County, it might as well be in the city. It is clearly a better deal in the city than in the county, so I imagine most prospective restaurant owners will prefer to locate in the city, and this is where their tax money will go. Given that the county needs money, and is putting the squeeze on the Arts Association, the Library, and other worthwhile entities, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. In the meantime, some local people are eagerly awaiting the influx of streetwalking prostitutes promised by the prophets of prohibition. For better or worse, like the violin-case-toting gangsters and organized crime licensing was certain to bring, they have yet to materialize on our street corners.

July 17, 2009

It has continued unseasonably humid. The temperature at our place has rarely exceeded 80, but it has felt hotter than usual because of the humidity. On the plus side, after an alarmingly dry June, it seems to be continuing to rain. We had a little over a half inch at our place over the past week, good soaking rain. I was concerned because the katydid population seemed to be smaller than usual, but the rain seems to have brought them back to normal numbers.

If you are not familiar with katydids, they look exactly like bright green grasshoppers. They hatch out of the ground, and fly up into the trees, where they spend most of their lives. In my experience, they are completely harmless, although supposedly they can bite if handled roughly. Where they are present, they are the dominant night voice, easily outsinging the tree frogs and the cicadas. As an interesting point of life cycle biology, only the males of our species sing, and they do so to attract female katydids. They sing by scraping together the plates on their front wings. If you have the time to listen to them for a while, you'll realize that their song changes as the night goes on. Toward dawn, the may begin to sing antiphonally, and at about 4:00 AM, they all stop singing at once. They are one of my very favorite things about summer in the mountains.

I learned from the Benton McKaye Trail Association newsletter that there are two new maps of our area from the National Geographic Trails Illustrated series. Number 777, "Springer and Cohutta Mountains," covers the area from Chatsworth to Brasstown Bald. Number 778, "Brasstown Bald/Chatooga River" covers the area from Brasstown Bald east to South Carolina. These maps do a better job of depicting the trail system than do the forest service maps, which are primarily useful because they show the forest service road numbers. The forest service office over on Parksville Lake in Tennessee had 777 yesterday, but the forest service office in Blairsville, typically, does not. The Benton McKaye Trail Association, by the way, is a very neat organization, because they are still actively building trails.

Corridor K, the four-lane road that is proposed from Ducktown to Cleveland to replace Highway 64 through the Ocoee Gorge, is being agitated again. There is, as I've said before, a need to fix the existing road, which needs guardrails, widened curves, and passing areas. There is no need for a four-lane solution through pristine national forest or through the beautiful Ocoee Gorge itself. It's just a boondoggle. But needless to say, the folks who build these roads are very eager to have this road built, and they are promising instant economic prosperity throughout the region. This might actually happen if they took about a tenth of the money this is going to cost and distributed it to every man, woman, and child in the affected area, but it is unlikely to materialize from building the road, except for the road builders. As a case in point, the Cherohala Skyway from Tellico Plains to Robbinsville cost $100 million (in 1996 dollars). It was projected to carry five million cars a year. The actual number is about ten a day, or about 3,650 per year. In other words, a slight - but significant - shortfall. Needless to say, the promised economic boom has somehow failed to materialize, but we're all sure it will be coming very soon.

If you are interested in having your say on this issue, there is a public meeting at the Copper Basin High School on Highway 68 south of Ducktown and north of Copperhill on Monday, July 20, from 5:00 - 8:00. There is another at the High School in Benton, on Highway 411 north of Benton the following night at the same time.

July 10, 2009

We got almost 3.5 inches of rain in an hour yesterday afternoon at our place, a little southeast of Mineral Bluff. In other words, it rained as hard as it can rain, which it hasn't done for a long time.

It was kind of hard on some of the roads and driveways, and if yours got channelized, you need to give it a little attention now to avoid having to give it a lot of attention later. Once they get channelized, they go to the bad really quickly. Also, it would be a good idea to check and see that dirt didn't get washed down over any of your wood siding. If it has, the termites will be in that siding before you know it.

The blackberries are coming pretty well. See the famous recipe a few columns below.

The 4th of July festivities were a big whoop. I had to work, of course, but I heard two of the three bands playing in the downtown park on the 3rd, and they were both very good. There's not much happening this weekend, but I imagine everyone is recovering from last weekend, anyway.

June 30, 2009

The temperature and humidity have finally dropped. Yesterday was delightful, and it was 60° on the deck this morning. It's a wonderful day again today. Makes you glad to be alive!

I've seen some of the rhodendron in bloom down around the creeks. There probably isn't anything prettier, so it might be time to grab your camera and try to get a few shots. The blackberries are also starting to come pretty good. See below for the famous recipe.

There's some so-so news for sportsmen. The DNR is dropping about half of Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area and all of Lake Burton WMA from the list of managed properties. Apparently this is not quite decided, but it looks like it will be the Lumpkin County portion of the Blue Ridge WMA that will be dropped. These will continue as national forest, but they will not receive the habitat improvements that have been provided in the past by the Wildlife Resources Division. As the Georgia Outdoor News points out, it's a bit annoying because sportsmen pay about 80% of the WRD's budget through fees and taxes on sporting goods, but have endured a number of cuts in programs and services over the past few years. The net loss of WMA land in Georgia, north and south, will be about 51,000 acres.

Finally, I promised a rundown on 4th of July activities.

Ducktown/Copperhill/McCaysville: The Miner's Homecoming will be in Ducktown on the 3rd from 4:00 - 9:30, with lots of activities. Fireworks in McCaysville (from Tater Hill) at dark. I want to give a call to the members of the TriCities Business Association, who stepped up to save the fireworks this year through contributions. Miner's Homecoming continues on the 4th with a pancake breakfast at the Hoist House (the mining museum) at 8:00 AM and a parade on Main Street at 10:00 AM, followed by the duck race and gospel music. There will also be fireworks and live music at Runway Fireworks in Copperhill. Lee and Charlie Standley are scheduled to play from 1:00 - 3:00 and 6:00 - 8:00.

Blue Ridge: In Blue Ridge, Breaking Point, Surender, and Raven play rock in the downtown park on the 3rd from 5:30 - 9:00. There is also a spaghetti dinner for $6 (children $3). The parade begins at 10:00 AM downtown on the 4th. The 4th of July festivities at the marina begin at 4:00 and include barbecue, music, and fireworks at dark. (The best alternative place to view the fireworks is probably from Morganton Point.)

Epworth: In Epworth, the Old Fashioned 4th of July begins with a pancake breakfast at 8:00 AM at the Epworth Community Club (behind the campus), followed by lots of activities including carnival booths, concessions, old cars, and a bake sale.

Hope you can make it up for some of the fun!

June 25, 2009

It has continued unseasonably hot and humid, but without any significant rain.

We've just picked the first blackberries. They seem to have had a better spring with the rain this year, but there's no doubt that they've been hurt by the years of drought. There just aren't as many as there used to be. Still, I've seen some pretty good bushes here and there. This means, of course, that it's time to publish the famous recipe again, or get about fifty emails reminding me. So here it is for your reading pleasure. We've never tried it ourselves, of course, but we hear that it's great.

THE FAMOUS BLACKBERRY MARGARITA RECIPE

2 cups berries
2 cups ice cubes
½ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup white tequila
¼ cup sugar (white or raw)

It's best to wash the berries ahead of time and then put them in the freezer until they are almost frozen. It also helps if the tequila is in the freezer. Buzz the berries in the blender. Strain the seeds, if you care about these things (they tend to fall to the bottom of the glass, anyway). Add the other ingredients. Either buzz it again with the ice or serve it on the rocks. If it isn't cold enough, you may want to refrigerate the mixture for a bit. Yes, it does need all that lime to taste like a margarita. Enjoy!

Most of the wild excitement is reserved for next weekend, with the fireworks and other celebrations. I'll update on those when I have the latest information available.

June 18, 2009

The weather has been very nice, a little unseasonably humid and warm. We've had some beautiful summer days that have been ideal for swimming in the lake. (By the way, if you haven't found it yet, there's a nice beach at Morganton Point. The cost is $5 per car or $50 for a yearly pass.)

We had about 4/10" rain last night from a little thunderstorm, so the rain has continued nicely.

The box turtles must be either nesting or laying eggs, because I've seen a lot of them out and about lately. The blackberries are growing on the vines, still red. There don't seem to be as many vines after the long drought, but the ones that we do have seem to be doing fairly well. I'm hopeful that we'll have a good crop this year.

There's not much wild excitement in town this weekend, but the 4th of July is coming, and there will be lots of fireworks and fun things to do this weekend.

June 10, 2009

Last weekend was simply beautiful, with clear skies, a gentle breeze, and perfect temperatures. It was announced today that Georgia is officially out of the drought, with the second wettest spring of something like the past 115 years. That's good news, and I hope it continues. We may never see the good old days again, with 90 inches of rain a year - it really was a temperate rain forest 25 years ago - but I'm hopeful that at least everything will stop dying down in the woods. I honestly think that my woods have half the density of vegetation that they had 20 years ago, and that's not from cutting anything down - just mostly from the drought and the pine beetles that benefit from the drought.

The first downtown beer and wine license has been issued, to Blue Jeans Pizza. The city set the price of a license much more realistically than the county - $2,000 as opposed to $10,000 - so it is reasonable to suppose that there may be more licensed premises. The most interesting project out there is the Blue Ridge Brewery in the location that was recently Blue Christmas, in the old Doss & Doss building across the street from our office. It is rumored that a certain popular local chef may be taking the reins in the kitchen, and a good selection of beers is promised.

This is rather a shocking change from Blue Ridge, and from my perspective, the interesting thing is that not much has been heard from the many people who so passionately opposed the whole business of licensing beer and wine sales all along

There's no doubt that it will help the downtown merchants, because the Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly documented the fact that up to half of our visitors drive down to Ellijay to eat because they can get a drink with dinner. I hope that this will change that situation some and that we'll be retaining a little more of that business here in Blue Ridge. It is probably a little too much to hope, but it would be very interesting if people actually had a reason to go to downtown Blue Ridge after dark. It would be a lot more interesting than going down to the Wal-Mart shopping center in Ellijay to eat at one of the chain restaurants on the strip, for one thing. For another, it could be a very interesting mix of people with some of the shops open late.

You've probably been getting email updates on the Golf & River Club, but if you haven't, let me know and I'll add you to the list. Basically, we're hoping to have eight of nine holes ready for play in the fall, and construction on the first cottage is scheduled to begin soon. I think as soon as people can get it into their heads that this is really going to happen, we'll start selling pretty good out there, and - as always - prices will be apt to rise. We got some incredible incentives for the next ten buyers - including payment of 24 months interest on a 80% loan, a $5,000 credit on the club account. If construction begins within 18 months, we'll add another $5,000 credit to the club account. By the way, despite the recent licensing of beer and wine in the county and city, the club will likely have the only full bar in Fannin County for the foreseeable future (the license will be a state license, similar to the licensing of the Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris.

June 5, 2009

We've had some nice, steady rain at our place over the past few days, almost an inch. The trees and shrubs look very happy for the first time in a long while, and the birds and tree frogs seem to be getting a big kick out of it as well.

As I've mentioned before, I've started mailing out an email newsletter with information on local real estate and local events. I'm having trouble finding time to put the items that I write for that newsletter here, too, so if anyone would like to be included on that email list as well, please let me know. I've pasted the three articles I wrote for the latest issue below, in case anyone is interested in reading them.

The Market - What's Happening Right Now

We've seen a real increase in buyer interest with the coming of spring, and we've definitely had an increase in sales in our office. In a normal year, that tends to fall off in deep summer and increase in the fall, which traditionally has been our strongest selling season.

I think there's a chance it won't drop off into summer, because we have so much pent-up demand in the marketplace right now. There are tons of people who basically have made a decision to buy ... just as soon as they feel confident in doing so. People can see that there are great deals out there and that interest rates are low. But a lot of them just don't feel confident enough the economy is in recovery. In other words, the major issue we're facing in our market is consumer confidence. Clark Howard said the other day that it's a great time to buy a second home, and that's definitely true, from an objective point of view. But I think it will take another little bit of "waiting and seeing" for that to translate into a considerably improved market. By the way, we're not having trouble getting loans for qualified buyers.

It's probably time for sellers to get their places on the market and position themselves for the rebound, as long as they are willing to put a realistic price on their property. Obviously, price is going to be the big driver until some of our excess inventory is absorbed. But I think market conditions are improving. I could always be surprised by new developments, but if nothing changes radically in the economic outlook, I'd say we've either turned the corner or about to turn it.

We're showing 41 foreclosures in Fannin County. If you throw out the obvious dogs, there are about two dozen left. My sense is that with all the buyer interest in foreclosures, this inventory has been fairly well picked over. (And no, the banks up here aren't selling for 50¢ on the dollar.) But there may be a deal or two left in the bunch. If you'd like a list, just email me. If anything appeals to you, I can get you the details.

Cabin Tech: Art & Science of Mountain Living

A few of the things that I've learned since Dad and I bought our cabin here in 1986.

Carpenter Bees: The carpenter bees are swarming now, looking for nests, drilling holes in your cabin, and making little carpenter bees. If you haven't seen these guys, they look like a huge bumblebee. They like to get right up in your face and intimidate you, and it usually works. The ones with a little white cross on their face don't have stingers, but the rest of them do, and it packs a punch. The holes that they drill look a whole lot like you took a 3/8" drill bit and just drilled a hole. They can easily drill a hole in a 6 x 6. To be honest, I didn't believe it the first time I saw it. They can also get under shingles and similar places. They seem to prefer to reuse old holes, so it is a good idea to fill them with calk after the end of the season. It sounds like a good idea to calk the hole up while they are in there, but it isn't. They lay three eggs, and if they are calked in, they will just drill a new hole out when they hatch, so then you have two holes. If you have a problem with them, you can kill them with wasp spray, but it won't kill them immediately. If you have a serious infestation, the pest control people can help. But the main thing is to make a note of the hole locations, so you can calk the holes up in the fall, and try to discourage them when they are buzzing around looking for good places to raise a family. You can tell where they are nesting, because they will be buzzing around these spots at dusk.

Firewood: This is the time to lay in your supply of firewood for the fall. The old rule was to season it for "one year on the ground," but you can usually get away with a half a year if you stack it up, cover it, and let it dry. Normally, it has seasoned some from sitting in the wood yard. Properly seasoned firewood starts easier, and more importantly, it won't "pop" and burn holes in your wood floor. Most of the firewood we get here is some sort of hardwood, mostly red and black oak. (White oak goes to the sawmill.) We're currently paying $70-$75 for a running cord (2 x 4 x 8). You can buy hickory if you want, but we're paying up to $90 a cord for that, because it's always in demand for barbecuing. The best place to buy is from a wood yard where you can look around and pick the cord you want. A mix of little pieces and big pieces is good. All little pieces, and you'll burn through a cord of wood in no time. I usually buy a cord of really big pieces and one of medium sized pieces, which will just about get me through the average winter. When you get it back to the cabin, you want to stack it at least ten feet from the cabin. Any closer, and your termite man will have a fit. Also, it is good to get it off the ground. I've used concrete blocks before, but I recently built some racks to get it well off the ground, and I've been very happy with those. You should cover it with a tarp so it doesn't get soaked by the rain. Some wetting by the rain is OK, but if it sits on the ground and gets wet repeatedly, it won't be long before it rots, and you won't want it in the cabin.

Creepy crawly things: If you agree with the idea of using pesticide occasionally, you can spray your foundation up to about two feet and the dirt around for about three feet out from the foundation with an approved outside spray. If you do this in the spring before full summer comes and then again in the fall before it gets really cold, you can achieve a marked reduction in the creepy crawly things inside the cabin. I very rarely spray inside the house now that the dogs are taking a pill for flea control. If you spray outside, choose a day with good drying potential and don't let your kids or animals out in the yard until the spray is completely dry.

Delano Community Farmer's Market

Last Saturday, we made our first spring visit to one of our favorite places, the Mennonite Farmer's Market in Delano, TN. They are open six days a week from 9:00 - 5:00 (closed Sunday). They do a lot of green housing and they had a good selection of early produce including several varieties of lettuce, scallions, white radishes, collards, turnips, beets, peas, beans, cucumbers, spinach, cilantro, and strawberries. Of course, they had their sorghum, preserves, and baked goods. (Everybody loves their sticky buns.) And they had beautiful tomato plants. (I used their plants last year, and had the best year yet for home grown tomatoes.) The live animal market, which is held on the last Saturday of the month, was also in session and was very interesting. There is usually a gentleman there selling grass-fed beef from a trailer on Saturdays.

Their prices are very good, and the quality of the produce is wonderful. Their "peaches and cream" corn - a hybrid of white and yellow corn - is the best corn I've ever tasted. In the fall, you can buy bushels and pecks of peppers and other good things to put up at truly drop dead prices.

The Amish are known for beautiful draft horses, and it was a treat to see several beautiful wagon teams. The horses they use to pull their buggys are always beautiful, spirited horses as well. It's a beautiful piece of property and would be a tempting place to take pictures, if they weren't opposed to photography. It's all cash, of course, and there's no phone. And they ask that dress be respectful. They seem to tolerate shorts. But they really don't like low necklines or halter tops. If you're wearing one, it would probably be a good idea to take a long sleeved shirt to wear inside the market. To us, respecting their way of life and beliefs is a small price to pay for being able to buy such wonderful produce. A lot of folks seem to agree with us. It's not unusual to go over there on a week day and find about 40 people standing out in front, waiting for them to open the doors. As with any farmer's market, it's best to go early - or at least, not too late.

The market is north of Benton, TN. It's a bit of a trip from Blue Ridge. It usually takes me an hour and fifteen minutes. From Blue Ridge, you would take Hwy 5 north to McCaysville, cross the river, and turn left on Hwy 68. After you go through Copperhill, just before you get to the traffic light on 68 in the old part of downtown Ducktown, you come to the turnoff for Hwy 64/74. Take 64/74 (the River Road/Old Copper Road) west toward Cleveland and Chattanooga. If you want to go the scenic way, after you pass through the gorge, look for the beginnings of Parksville Lake on the left. On the right, a short distance further, is the turnoff for 315/30 to Reliance (the Greasy Creek Road). When you get into Reliance, don't cross the river. Stay on Hwy 30. When you get to 411, turn right. The turnoff to the market is on the left, just after you turn north on 411 and just after you cross the Hiwassee River. There's a winery on the same road.

The quicker way to go would be to continue toward Cleveland on 64/74 and take the road that cuts off to Benton, which is 314. It's not marked very well, but you'll probably see other traffic bear off on the right fork after you've passed Parksville Lake. This turnoff is just before you cross the Ocoee River and the road turns to four lanes. When you get into Benton, turn right on 411. When you cross the Hiwassee River, the turnoff is on the left a short distance further. If you miss 314, it's no big deal. Just continue on until you hit Hwy 411, and turn north. After you cross the Hiwassee River, look for the sign on the left.

May 29, 2009

We've been having some nice showers this week, along with some beautiful, crisp days. Everybody is hoping that the rain continues and that it doesn't turn off toward the drought again as it did a few years ago when we had a wet spring and early summer.

The blooming is mostly over for the year, although the rhodendron have yet to come. There are still some laurel in bloom, and some wildflowers here and there, although we didn't seem to have a great spring for them here locally.

Pickin' in the Park is back on again, every Thursday evening starting at 6:30 in the Ron Henry Horseshoe Bend Park in McCaysville. The park is off Hwy 60 North, on the River Road, just south of McCaysville. If you are in McCaysville, you head south on Hwy 60 until you are just out of town. Then you turn right on the River Road, just before the train tracks. This is one of my favorite local happenings. It's a good place to take a lawn chair and a picnic supper and hear the old boys pick and sing. If you're at all a lover of bluegrass, you're probably going to tear up just a little when you hear the old boys sing, "I should have stayed around the old home place / And never gone to work in the mines."

Other than that, there's not too much wild excitement in Blue Ridge this weekend. It's still cool enough for hiking, though, and I hear that the fishing has been pretty good on the lake lately.

May 20, 2009

The weather has been wonderful, with beautiful, clear days. We actually saw 50° on the porch the other day, but it warmed up to nearly 70°. Yesterday was a beautiful 70° on the porch.

This weekend is the 33rd Annual Arts in the Park in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. Hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 - 5:00.

Also, the Friends of the Library hare having a book sale Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00 and Sunday from 12:00-5:00, in the lobby of the Fannin County Courthouse.

May 14, 2009

We had about 1-1/2" of rain at our place over the past week. In the previous week, we had about 3-1/2" of rain. Things have greened up nicely, and the trees, including the chestnut oaks, are in full leaf. There's still some pollen in the air, but we seem to be entering the end of the pollen season. Some of the laurel (not rhodendron) is in bloom, and the blackberry bushes are flowering.

May 1, 2009

We had a nice rain all morning for May Day. Most of the trees are in nearly full leaf, and the blackberries have started to blossom. There are still a lot of dogwood and flame azalea in bloom.

April 23, 2009

The weather has been just beautiful lately. I've seen the first flame azelea in bloom, and most of the trees are leafing out nicely. I've finally realized that the reason that I've been having trouble figuring out when most of the dogwoods are going to bloom is that most of them aren't going to bloom. I don't know why, but it turns out that many of them did not set buds, or did not hold them through the winter. It seems that we've got less than a tenth of the usual number in bloom. I think this weekend will be the peak, but it won't be anything like we usually see here in the mountains.

This Saturday is the Polk County Ramp Festival. See below for details.

Also, this Saturday and Sunday, we're having the second of two weekends of Springfest at the farmer's market on the old highway in Blue Ridge. The hours are 9:00 to 5:00, and there are supposed to be some forty arts and crafts vendors present. The farmer's market is located near the Swan Drive-in Theater on Old 76.

Also this Saturday, at 6:00 PM, the Georgia Mountain Classic Car Club is having a cruise-in at the Home Depot parking lot. This is scheduled for every Saturday evening from now until the fall.

April 17, 2009

The weather has been absolutely beautiful for the past few days. Spring is moving along, although there aren't as many dogwoods in bloom as I expected. But the trees are leafing out and the woods look very beautiful. The sarvis is finished blooming and is leafing out, and the redbuds are almost done. The crabapple is just starting to bloom, and the flame azelea is in leaf.

This weekend is the Turtletown Ramp Festival. Next weekend is the 51st Annual Polk County Ramp Festival. Here's a little piece I wrote for my email newsletter on ramps and the festivals.

The Polk County Ramp Festival (and Turtletown Festival)

This is one of my favorite local events. It's held the last Saturday in April, which is April 25th this year. Last year was the 50th annual festival, so this year will be the 51st. If you are not familiar with ramps, they are an edible wild lily. The bulb looks a lot like a scallion. They usually have two leaves, which look at lot like elongated trout lily leaves. For the old settlers, the coming of the ramps was a welcome sign of spring, and many mountain communities have ramp festivals, from West Virginia to Georgia. They were considered a wonderful spring tonic for cleansing the blood. The traditional preparation is to cut them up - leaves and all - into scrambled eggs or fry them whole in bacon grease. But they can be used in salads or anywhere you would use an onion, leek, or scallion. Their strength varies depending on their maturity at the time they are dug, but they are generally a bit stronger than an onion or a leek. We think they're pretty wonderful. Usually, we put them in salads or just serve them raw, alongside whatever else we're eating. We've been known to go through four or five dozen in the course of their short season. If you like to eat, and especially if you are interested in wild foods, you should definitely give them a try. They've had quite a vogue lately with the celebrity chefs, but this is one of those cases where our mountain folk were about a hundred years ahead of the cutting edge.

At the Polk County Ramp Festival, the menu is scrambled eggs with ramps, streaky meat (bacon from Benton's in Madisonville), white beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread. It's a fund raiser for the Polk County 4-H. They also serve sassafras root tea and boiled peanuts. There's always bluegrass and usually a couple of booths of craft vendors. This is an event that brings all the old people out, along with most of the local Tennessee politicians. The festival used to be held on the top of the Big Frog Mountain, but with the closing of the area to vehicle traffic, the event has found a home at Camp McCroy.

Thursday is ramp digging up in North Carolina. (They only grow above about 5,000 feet). Friday is cleaning of the ramps, and Saturday is the ramp festival, with country breakfast and bluegrass. If you have time, it's a great experience to help dig the ramps, and it helps you understand the spirit of the festival. The diggers usually meet at the Hardees in Tellico Plains for breakfast before the dig, but you should call 423.338.4503 for last minute confirmation of plans.

The festival itself is a good place to mix with the local politicians and old boys, get some ramps, boiled peanuts, and sassafras root tea, and generally enjoy life in the mountains. The spring wildflowers are usually pretty good in the area of the festival, too. For more information, visit www.polkagextension.com/ramppage.html.

Camp McCroy is on TN Hwy 30/315, between Hwy 64/74 and Reliance, Tennessee. From Blue Ridge, you would take Hwy 5 to McCaysville, cross the river, turn left, and continue on Hwy 68 through Copperhill to Ducktown. Turn left on Hwy 64/74 (toward Cleveland and Chattanooga). After you go through the Ocoee Gorge, you will see the beginning of Parkesville Lake, where the Ocoee is dammed. Hwy 30/315 turns off to the right, toward Reliance. Camp McCroy is on the right, a few miles further along. (If you come to the forest service office on Hwy 64, you've missed the turn and gone too far.) The festival starts hopping about 10:00 AM, but it is best to get there early.

For you birders, there's a bald eagle nesting on the far side of Parksville Lake, just across from the turnoff to Reliance. There's an area there on the edge of the highway where you can get off the road, just past the turnoff. It's a ways across the lake, so you will definitely need good binoculars and perhaps a spotting scope to get a good look.

If you can't make the Polk County Ramp Festival, the Turtletown Ramp Festival is the previous Saturday, April 18th. To get there from Blue Ridge, take Hwy 5 to McCaysville, cross the river, and turn left on Hwy 68. Continue on Hwy 68 through Turtletown, to a picnic shelter on the right. This is just before the place where Hwy 68 and 123 come to a Y. Note: I hear the festival is going to be held in downtown Turtletown this year. I'm not sure exactly where, but it won't be hard to find.

April 15, 2009

We haven't had much sun lately, so the dogwoods are not as far along as I expected. There are some in bloom and some more about to bloom, but I don't expect that they will be anywhere near peak this weekend.

I went to an interesting conference the other day up in Coker Creek. I've pasted my report below.

Historic Fort Found in Coker Creek

The site of Fort Armistead, which was established during Coker Creek’s gold rush days, has been found. The fort was initially built to protect local Cherokees from gold prospectors who overran the territory in 1831. The site was garrisoned from 1832–1835 for this purpose, and was the only army fort in Cherokee territory until May 1835. In 1838, the fort was re-garrisoned to aid in the Cherokee removal. Over 3,000 Cherokees passed through Fort Armistead on their march from Fort Butler in Murphy along the Unicoi Turnpike to concentration camps near Fort Cass at Charleston, where they were held while awaiting deportation to Oklahoma. It was also used by troops searching for Cherokees who fled from the removal and were hiding in the Unaka Mountains.

While the fort was not exactly lost – it has been in the same location for 177 years – its location was known to only a few people in Coker Creek. The former landowners, local artists Ken and Kathleen Dalton, learned of the significance of the site from a neighbor whose grandfather had helped construct the fort. When they contacted archeologist Brett Riggs, who specializes in the Cherokee, he was rather skeptical. While its existence is well attested, Fort Armistead’s location was unknown to scholarship, because it did not appear on any contemporary maps. After extensive archival research, Dr. Riggs located a map that confirmed the location, and his subsequent fieldwork has established the authenticity of the site beyond a doubt. The Daltons wanted to preserve the site for history, and the Forest Service finally agreed to purchase the property, which is now under Forest Service management.

In a conference on April 3-4 hosted by the Coker Creek Heritage Group, Dr. Riggs and Forest Archeologist Quentin Bass, who was instrumental in persuading the Forest Service to acquire the property, explained its historical significance and offered guided tours of the site. It is located directly on the old Unicoi Turnpike, very close to the center of Coker Creek, not more than 300 yards from Highway 68. The proximity of the site to Coker Creek is fortunate, because it can be easily monitored by local citizens. It is also protected by extensive electronic surveillance to prevent “grave robbers” from plundering the extremely sensitive site.

The fort was situated on a small bluff overlooking a broad curve in the Unicoi Turnpike, near Maroney’s Stand, one of the stock stands located at intervals along the route to provide overnight rest and resupply for drovers. There is a good spring just to the west of the site and a broad clearing to the east, which was probably used by Cherokees in transit to Fort Cass for overnight camping. A number of contemporary roads converge on the fort, which consisted of four blockhouses with connecting palisades. Additional buildings such as barracks and winter huts were also on the site.

All of the structures on the site were burned at some point, but the four blockhouses were probably very similar to the “Fort Marr” blockhouse that is now in Benton. Under one of the blockhouses was a deep powder magazine, lined with stone and fitted with a sand floor, to reduce the possibility of sparks. (The powder magazine was designed so that in the event of explosion, the force of the blast would be directed directly upward, instead of laterally through the entire fort.) While the Fort Marr blockhouse remains the only structure that still exists from the removal era forts, the Fort Armistead site is of far greater significance, because it is the only removal era fort that is located on an intact site.

The archeological integrity of the site is almost unbelievable. It appears to be almost 100% intact, with not even an invasive species of plant present to betray the fact that the soil has been disturbed. Despite the short period of use and occupation, initial surveys indicate that the site is rich in artifacts, and much will be learned from further investigation. The removal forts were apparently built to a standard plan, but no such plan is known to exist, so simply seeing the footprint of the fort on the ground is very informative. Given the sensitivity of the site in Cherokee history, it will be preserved as much as possible, with limited archeological studies conducted in the least invasive manner possible, for instance with ground penetrating radar.

The site is ideally located from a historical point of view, as there is a recently marked two-mile section of the historic Unicoi Turnpike Trail on forest service land near the site. The Unicoi Turnpike was a toll road constructed on the route of what is thought to be the oldest trace in North America. Prior to its use in the Cherokee removal, it was used by early explorers of the region including DeSoto and Bartram, and it received heavy use from traders in colonial times. Unlike the site of Fort Armistead, the public is welcome to explore this trail, which was recently designated one of 16 National Millennium Flagship trails. Visitors can drive a few miles from Coker Creek on the Joe Brown Highway to Unicoi Gap, where there is a parking area and interpretive sign. The intact section, a deeply entrenched trail, is reached by following the Benton McKaye Trail a few hundred feet southwest from the gap, where it diverges from the Unicoi Turnpike Trail. (As you face the interpretive sign, this section of the trail is behind you.) The Unicoi Turnpike Trail is marked with a blue blaze. This section of the trail descends two miles from the gap to Doc Rogers Fields near Coker Creek, passing the grave of a man killed by bushwhackers during the Civil War and an old CCC Camp, which was built on the site of the original Unicoi Turnpike tollbooth.

The Coker Creek Heritage Group is exploring the possibility of an interpretive center being built in Coker Creek, to increase awareness of local history and to interpret these extremely important remnants of the Cherokee removal, a shameful but significant episode in American history.

April 9, 2009

Dogwood Alert! Despite the snow yesterday and cold morning today, my dogwoods have started to bloom. I thought earlier this week that we'd see a good number in bloom this weekend, but we haven't had quite as much sunshine as I expected, so it looks like there will be some in bloom, with most of the blooms to be spread over the next couple of weeks. The weather yesterday was beautiful. We had 70° on the deck, which was quite a change from the 30° and three inches of snow we had just two days previous. It's rainy today, but it's unmistakably spring, with everything in the pastures greening up and starting to grow.

April 7, 2009

We probably had three inches of snow at our place last night and this morning. The ground is fairly warm, and there don't seem to be any travel difficulties this morning. Highway 515 is fine. The ambient temperature is still around or below the freeze at 11 AM, but there is also a little sun. The situation may change for the worse this evening, because rain is predicted and the temperature is supposed to fall into the mid-twenties over night. If there is sufficient moisture on the roads to freeze, they may be bad in the morning.

I talked to Tim Mercier, of Mercier Orchards yesterday, and he said that two years ago, when we also had a freeze on April 7, 8 and 9, that the fruit trees were a little further along, with small fruits on many of them. Also, it stayed well below freezing for about 30 hours. This year, the trees haven't fruited yet and temperatures are not expected to be below the freeze for that long. All in all, while he is concerned, he doesn't think it will be as bad as it was two years ago. All I have in bloom at this point are sarvis and redbuds, and they are fairly hardy. Two years ago, my persimmons were already in leaf, and they were just destroyed, as were some other trees that were in full leaf.

April 2, 2009

We've had about another inch of rain at our place over the past few days, but yesterday afternoon was beautiful, with a temperature of about 70° on the deck. The sarvis is still in bloom, and I expect things to really start to happen if we get a few days of strong sun.

The Blue Ridge Adventure Race is this Saturday, April 4. The starting place is a big secret, but the finish line will be in the downtown Blue Ridge park. The first finishers usually come in some time between noon and 2:00 pm. As usual, there will be live music and some other fun things in the park. This is usually a pretty good time, with the racers having to complete one final task in the park before crossing the finish line.

March 27, 2009

Just a little note on the progress of spring. It's been raining for the past few days, and we've gotten about an inch so far at our place. Other areas undoubtedly got more. The forsythia and Bartlett pears are almost over, and some of the sarvis is in bloom along with the redbuds. I think this rain will move things along, and I'm expecting the wild cherry trees and dogwood trees soon, maybe starting as early as the end of next week if we get a lot of sun. For those of you who aren't familiar with sarvis, this is what they call Juneberry or serviceberry up north. It is the first of the native flowering trees to come, and it has a beautiful white bloom in the shape of a cross, much narrower than dogwood petals. A lot of people mistake it for dogwood, but it comes much earlier. There are still a lot of ducks moving through. I saw a drake and hen mallard sitting in a pasture puddle on Cutcane Road just this morning.

March 25, 2009

Hot News Flash! The Blue Ridge City Council approved beer and wine in restaurants in the city limits last night. The vote was 3-2, with the swing vote belonging to new City Council member Michael Eaton. There is no ordinance yet, so there are no details. A lot will depend on those details - how many seats will be required, how many licenses will be issued, and how much a license will cost. The bars were set pretty high in the county ordinance in terms of number of seats (60) and the price of license ($10,000). To date, only three restaurants in the county have chosen to get licenses. This will be good news for the downtown merchants, depending on how those details are worked out.

March 23, 2009

I apologize for missing my regular deadline last week. I've been ill. We're starting to get into high spring, and the weather has been very fine. The sarvis (Juneberry) in my yard just started to bloom this morning. That's the first of the native shrubs to bloom, usually followed by the wild cherry and the crab apples. I've seen a lot of migrating wildfowl and songbirds in the past few weeks as well. With the opening day of trout coming this Saturday, we're about to enter the high mountain season. If you haven't been up for a while, you should make plans to come and see a little spring in the mountains.

March 11, 2009

We had some very warm weather earlier in the week, with temperatures as high as 74° in the late afternoon. Today, it was more seasonal, starting off around 45°. The warm weather brought out more tree buds, and there's a little pollen in the air. The pear trees are almost in full flower in many parts of the county. I haven't heard any turkey talk yet, but I think there's a good chance that their mating season is just around the corner. There's still not much wild excitement in terms of festivals and fun things to do in town, but we are close to the time when all those things will be happening again.

March 6, 2009

It was unbelievably cold early this week. We saw 5° on the porch on Tuesday, and the wind was blowing like crazy. It's warmed up by today, and tomorrow the high is supposed to be 74°. I don't know if we'll really see that, but it has gotten a lot more like spring. I've seen lots of daffodils. There are some forsythia starting, and lots of the trees are budding up.

I wish I could report that there's something wildly exciting happening in Blue Ridge this weekend, but we're still in the winter slow time for local events.

February 27, 2009

It's been raining a little today, and it feels a lot like spring is coming.

I was wrong in saying that brown-bagging is now illegal. Apparently, it is grandfathered until April 1 for restaurants that have not been licensed yet, in order to give them a fair chance to get licensed. I think some of those restaurants were not aware of this, because I was told Goodfellows had a sign up saying it was no longer permitted. The three licenses issued so far are Cucina Rustica on Forge Mill, El Sol on the Lance Connector (the Mexican place behind the Appalachian Bank), and Toccoa Riverside on Aska Road.

The Blue Ridge Golf & River Club have put some neat incentives in place. For non-resident memberships, they've lowered the price from $30,000 to $20,000 for the next fifty sold. Also, the next ten lot buyers will get a 10% discount, along with payment of the first 24 months interest (8% additional off for cash). They are also offering a $5,000 credit to the club account to lot buyers and for those who begin construction within 18 months, an additional $5,000. Contact me for details.

The bald eagles are back mating at Parksville Lake, near Ocoee, Tennessee. They are on the far side of Parksville Lake from Hwy 64. There's a pulloff just west of TN 30, the road to Reliance, which makes a good viewing area. It was a bit hazy the morning I was there, and it was difficult to get a clear look. You'll probably need a spotting scope to get a perfect look, because the lake is pretty wide. The tree they were using died and fell in the lake, but they've found another that they seem to like.

Trout and Turkey Seasons Open in March

The opening day of the Georgia spring turkey season is Friday, March 21. If you are hiking in the woods, remember that hunters may be present. They may be using turkey, crow, or owl calls. If you hear any of these - and especially if they sound real bogus - chances are they are being made by a hunter. If you need a little update on Woodcraft 101, see the column archives for 3/23/2005.

Trout opens on Saturday, March 29. This isn't as big a deal as it used to be with our year-round streams, but with the opening of the season, you can fish the mouths of the seasonal streams that flow into the river, which is usually a productive strategy. Note that the Noontoola Creek continues to carry special regulations, which are artificials only. Also, note that there are new delayed harvest regulations on the upper Toccoa from just upstream of the Shallowford bridge to just upstream of Sandy Bottoms Canoe Access.

Here is the list of seasonal and year-round streams from the DNR: Seasonal: Charlie Creek watershed; Etowah River watershed; Jacks River watershed; Owenby Creek watershed; Persimmon Creek watershed; South Fork Rapier Mill Creek watershed; Star Creek watershed; Toccoa River tributary watersheds entering the river downstream from Blue Ridge Reservoir to the Georgia-Tennessee state line and upstream from the mouth of Stanley Creek except those listed as year-round; Tumbling Creek watershed; Wilscot Creek watershed. Year-round: Conasauga River watershed (except Jacks River watershed); Ellijay River watershed; Fightingtown Creek watershed; Mountaintown Creek watershed; Noontootla Creek watershed; Rock Creek watershed; Rock Creek Lake; Toccoa River downstream from Lake Blue Ridge to the Georgia-Tennessee state line and upstream from the mouth of Stanley Creek (does not include tributaries unless listed).

It’s worth remembering that the tailrace of the Toccoa is the best trip saver in the event of heavy rain, as the upper parts of the tailrace usually do not become heavily stained with runoff. When fishing the tailrace of the river (north and downstream of the dam): To ensure your safety, you must know the release schedule for the dam. There is a warning system planned, but it is not operational yet and probably will not provide full coverage. If you are wading the river, you must be prepared to move immediately if the water level starts to rise. This is no joke. The water comes up very fast. Check the release schedule on the TVA website, or call 800.238.2264, then press number 4, then the number for Lake Blue Ridge, which is 23.

February 19, 2009

The weather has been bouncing around as it always does as we approach spring, and it is beginning to feel a lot like spring is coming. We had about an inch of rain at our place Tuesday and Wednesday, and we've also had some fairly brisk winds.

This is kind of a quiet time in Blue Ridge, so there is not much to report. The streetscape project has begun on the block in front of the Blue Ridge Pharmacy, and a lot of downtown merchants are glad to see it finally underway.

The Toccoa River Restaurant was granted a beer and wine license. That makes a total of three, so far. As brown bagging is now illegal, the restaurants who have allowed brown bagging in the past are facing the choice of putting up $10,000 for the license or risking seeing their business dwindle. We spoke to one of the Cucina Rustica owners the other day, who said that business has been great since they obtained their license. So far, there is no official confirmation of any new restaurants that will be coming into the county, just a lot of speculation.

February 11, 2009

After that very cold weather, we've had some very warm, spring-like days. The ground seems to be waking up a little, and some of the spring smells are starting to come back. We're expecting some high wind this afternoon, when a cold front comes through, and perhaps a little rain. But the weather looks good for the weekend, at this point.

February 6, 2009

We've had a little rain and a couple of days of snow, but the real news is that it has been very cold. We've had a few mornings that started off around 10° and barely warmed up. With a very brisk wind, that's cold. I actually got my down jacket out of the closet, which I don't do very often. It's pretty nice out today, probably not quite 60°, and the weekend is supposed to be nice.

January 24, 2009

The Year in Review and What's Happening Right Now

The most significant event in Fannin County in 2008 was undoubtedly the granting of pouring licenses for beer and wine. So far, one pouring license had been issued, to Cucina Rustica on Forge Mill Road. While the City of Blue Ridge has not approved a similar ordinance - leading to much anxiety on the part of our downtown merchants - there's no doubt this is a step in the right direction from an economic point of view. Simply put, the county could no longer afford to leave this revenue on the table, with studies showing that up to 50% of our visitors travel to East Ellijay to eat. While there have been some recriminations, most of our business and civic leaders understand that it had to be done because our local economy is driven by real estate and tourism.

What kind of a year did we have in real estate? Our MLS statistics show that there were 2,379 transactions in 2008. There were 3,715 in 2007 and 6,274 in 2006. In 2005 - our peak year - there were 7,498. (That's for the entire six county MLS, including adjacent Tennessee and North Carolina.) So looking at things overall, we did 31-32% of the business we did in 2005. That's both good news and bad news. The good news is that the market isn't completely dead. We are still able to sell property, although there is no doubt that it has to be priced aggressively to sell. The bad news is simply that it isn't selling like it was in 2005. When you consider that there are something like 1,200 agents in our MLS, that's less than one commission per agent last year, even if you assume that there were two agents involved in almost every sale. That's why many local agents have left the business or have effectively moved on to other part- or full-time jobs.

Part of the good news is that despite the fact that there has clearly been a price correction, it hasn't reached the extent of the correction in many Florida markets, where properties have been selling for 50% of their previous value. Resort markets tend to be a bit more stable than traditional residential markets, for several reasons. One is that second home owners tend to be better off economically than the average homeowner and generally have a good bit of equity in their second homes. So many of these people can afford to wait out a declining market. Our strong weekend rental market also tends to stabilize home prices, because second home owners can recoup a certain percentage of their mortgage payments from rental income.

Interestingly, the MLS statistics show that the residential average price in Fannin County actually increased from $240,292 in 2007 to $258,006 in 2008. That's a somewhat misleading statistic, because there's probably been a price correction of at least 25-30% in cabins between $300,000 - $600,000. That's the price range where we're definitely overbuilt, and the best deals continue to be in new construction in that price range. There has been downward pressure on prices across the board, but we have relatively little inventory at lower and higher price points.

For cabin sellers, the situation continues to be tough. There is an awful lot of inventory out there to be absorbed - about three years worth at the current absorption rate - and there's no doubt that price is the principal driver of sales in this market. While we have seen our listing inventory decline slightly, that seems mostly to be due to sellers giving up and taking their property off the market rather than inventory being absorbed. Also, while we continue to have strong buyer interest, few people feel confident enough about their finances to commit to a major purchase. That's probably why we have so much buyer interest around the $200,000 mark. That seems to be the amount that most folks feel confident spending on a cabin right now. For lot and land sellers, the situation is worse. There is about a twelve-year inventory of lots and land at the current absorption rate, but only about 25% of last year's sales were land. To sum it all up for sellers, this is not a good time to try to sell your property unless you are strongly motivated to sell. Overpriced listings are not being shown, so the asking price definitely has to be aggressive. The days of "going fishing" are over for the foreseeable future.

Conversely, the news for buyers is all good. There is a lot on the market to choose from, and the deals are better than I can remember in a long time. If you want a place up here and feel confident enough to make a commitment you should act now, because there are indications that recovery has begun. We're beginning to see more buyer traffic, and I believe that the market will begin to recover in 2009. As Warren Buffet famously said about the stock market, "If you wait to see the robins, you'll miss the spring." In other words, the best deals will be made before everyone knows we're in recovery and wants to jump on the band wagon.

A brief word on foreclosures. We continue to have a lot of interest in them, and we continue to see people who assume that any foreclosure has to be a smoking deal. As I've said before, "it ain't necessarily so." For one thing, local banks have not been willing to sell for fifty cents on the dollar, as they have been in some Florida markets. By and large, they are still trying to "get out of it what they have in it." If the builder didn't put everything into the cabin that he borrowed - but bought a new pickup and a bass boat instead - what the bank has in it is a lot less than what it's really worth. In other cases, the builder paid too much for the lot, counting on a rising market. In still others, the property just isn't as inherently as attractive as others on the market. A lot of these places haven't been maintained, and a lot of them aren't really finished. We don't have anything against foreclosures, and we're handling a lot of them. But the best advice to people who are interested in them is to shop the other offerings along with the foreclosures, to be sure that you are getting the best deal possible.

To sum it all up, I expect that 2009 will be a year of recovery in the local real estate market. It will continue to be much better for buyers than sellers, but there are solid indications that we've hit bottom and are on the way back up. I believe the balance in the local market will begin to shift toward normalcy by the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. I also expect that the Blue Ridge Golf & River Club will begin to catch fire, and that will bring more upscale buyers to our area. That will help create a "rising tide that will lift all boats." I also expect that the new pouring licenses will spur commercial development and will make our area more attractive to second home buyers than it has been in the past. Then as now, it's a great place to work and play, and I hope you can be a part of it some day. If you haven't been up for a while, I'd encourage you to come up this spring and have a look around, and I hope to see you if you are in town.

January 23, 2009

We had a pretty good snow on Tuesday. It snowed a bit overnight and then snowed off and on during the day. I don't think there were travel difficulties on the main roads, but getting up and down from the ridgetops was a challenge. It's a bit tough getting in and out of our place, so we spent the day working at home. The newspaper got some nice pictures of kids playing in the snow, and it was a very pretty scene out there.

January 16, 2009

The big news from Fannin County is that the first pouring license for beer and wine has been approved, for Cucina Rustica on Forge Mill Road. At the first meeting of the new Fannin County Commission, their license request was approved by Bill Simonds and Steve Morris. Garnett Webb abstained, calling for an investigation by the attorney general into the legality of the vote for the ordinance by the outgoing commission. (Steve Morris qualified his vote by saying that it was not a vote for alcohol, but simply an affirmation that they had met the requirements.) I have been told that once one license has been granted, the ordinance cannot be repealed. If that's so, it settles the matter for good.

I called Cucina Rustica, and was able to speak to someone on the waitstaff. He indicated that they weren't sure when licensing would take effect, but thought it would be in early February. However, it is his understanding that brown bagging can continue until then. When I asked what beers they would have on draft, he said they had to add on to the restaurant first, so the selection probably wouldn't be extensive until that was accomplished.

I'm not sure about the brown bagging part. One little noticed feature of the ordinance is that it outlaws brown bagging, so restaurants that have been previously allowing it will have either to qualify for a license or discontinue the practice. Perhaps there is some exemption for restaurants who receive a license, but I did not see one in the fifth draft ordinance I read. (I have not seen the final ordinance.)

January 12, 2009

Two Favorite Short Hikes - To the Mountaintop and to the River

This is my favorite time to go hiking in the mountains, because with deer season over, usage of the National Forest is low. Here are directions and notes on two of my favorite hikes. They're not too strenuous, and are suitable for the whole family.

The Kimsey Highway to the Top of the Little Frog Mountain

I've written before about the historic Kimsey Mountain Highway. This half-day trip uses the Kimsey to reach the trailhead for a short hike to the top of the Little Frog Mountain, also called Sassafras Knob.

From Blue Ridge, go north on Hwy 5 to McCaysville. Cross the river and turn left on Hwy 68. Go north on Hwy 68 through Copperhill to Ducktown. You will cross Hwy 64 just before you come into Ducktown. From the traffic light in Ducktown, continue north on Hwy 68 for four miles, at which point you cross the railroad tracks. Go another .3 miles to a left on the Kimsey Highway, at Vic's Auto Parts. This is also designated Forest Service 68. Follow the Kimsey Highway for 5.5 miles to the trailhead on the left. (You will pass Forest Service 66, the Ditney Mountain Road, and Forest Service 80, the Smith Mountain Road.)
The trail is marked 68B, and there is a forest service gate over the trail, which used to be used by automobiles. There's no real parking area. You have to find a place to park on the outside of the curve. (Do not block the trail or the gate. Forest Service personnel occasionally use this road, and it would be needed if anyone on the mountain required rescuing.)

It is about a 45 minute walk to the top, where a radio tower is located. The grade is not very steep, and aside from some wet places on the lower end of the trail, it's very easy walking. There are wonderful vistas both from the road and on top. On top, the most impressive is a close range view of the Big Frog Mountain, across the Ocoee Gorge to the south. It's about a thousand feet higher than the Little Frog. Even from the road, you can look north across the Hiwassee River Gorge to the high ridge on the other side, and if you look westward through the notch where the Hiwassee passes through Bean Mountain/Chilhowee Mountain and Chestnut Mountain near Benton, you will see the plume of steam from the Bowater paper plant at Calhoun.

You can return the way you came. Or you can take FS 66, the Ditney Mountain Road, to rejoin Hwy 68 north of the Kimsey (bear right at the Y). Or you can continue on the Kimsey about eight miles to Archville and turn left on Hwy 315 (the road makes a “T” and there is a small store on the right, Hall’s). Then turn left on Hwy 64, which will take you back through the gorge to Ducktown. (If you go this way, you might consider making a side trip to Reliance by turning right on 314. The Hiwassee River is beautiful there.)

A note on the Kimsey: It is not in terrific repair for the first two or three miles up from Hwy 68. It's a little bumpy, and the road is narrow, although it is passable by car. There is no guard rail. It's not quite as intimidating going up as it is going down, because when you're headed back from the trailhead, you're on the side with the drop off. If this bothers you, you might consider back through Archville. The road is much better from Archville to the trailhead than it is from Hwy 68 to the trailhead.

The Confluence of the Jacks and the Conasauga

This is one of the most beautiful areas in the mountains. Both rivers flow north from the Cohutta Wilderness Area, and are wonderful, pristine rivers. The Conasauga is known for its biodiversity, having more species of fish than the Colorado River system. In the summer, it's a favorite for snorkeling. The Nature Conservancy and other groups often have outings there to view the fish. The Jacks is a beautiful mountain river that runs through a steep gorge to its confluence with the Conasauga.

From Blue Ridge, go north on Hwy 5 to McCaysville. Cross the river and turn left, continuing north on Hwy 68 through Copperhill toward Ducktown. Just before you reach Ducktown, turn left on Hwy 64, toward Benton, Cleveland, and Chattanooga. Go about 26 miles through the Ocoee Gorge and turn south on Hwy 411, south of Benton. You will be headed away from Benton, toward Old Fort and Chatsworth. Go about 6.8 miles to a left on Ladd Springs Road, passing through Old Fort. At Ladd Springs road, 313 goes off to the right, and there are two gas stations – St. Clare’s and a Marathon called the Favorite Market. There is also a sign for the Ballplay Church. Turn left on Ladd Springs Road.

Go about a 1.6 miles to a crossroads, and continue straight. Go 2.2 miles to the village of Willis Springs, and turn right at the “Y”, which is Forest Service 221. Follow 221 back until you get to the Conasauga River. This isn’t far – about 4.6 miles – but it will take about twenty minutes. There is a parking area on the right, and a trailhead for the lower end of the Conasauga River Trail. This is a good area to explore. But the real jewel is the Jacks River. To reach the trailhead, continue on 221 a short distance (about a half a mile). Go past the bridge. The trailhead is on the right. Park there and take the trail up the Jacks River.

The trail is actually the bed of a narrow gage railroad, which was built during the logging era. The tracks have been taken up, but the roadbed remains. It's a beautiful walk up this trail. Unfortunately, you can only go about a mile before you come to the first river crossing, but it's well worth it. (Don't attempt to cross the river if the water is high. The current is very swift.) It's a good hour and a half minimum to reach the trailhead from Blue Ridge, but this is one of the most beautiful places I've been in the mountains. (I wouldn't go on the weekend in the summer, because the river is very heavily used to beat the heat.)

By the way, the Jacks River Trail is not far from the trailhead for the Beech Bottom Trail, which is the one trail that goes to the Jacks River Falls without crossing the Jacks (you cross it over twenty times before you reach the falls, going either direction on the Jacks River Trail). It is by far the easiest way to reach the falls. To reach the Beech Bottom Trail, continue on 221 to a right on FS 62 and continue to the trailhead. It is about five miles to the falls, going this way. The falls is downstream from Beech Bottom Trail, about .6 miles on the Jacks River Trail.

January 7, 2009

We've had about five inches of rain at our place in the past few days, and some areas probably got more. Yesterday afternoon, most of the creeks and streams were very near flood stage, and I expected that we would see some flooding. The rain backed off a little last night, and while there has been some minor flooding, I haven't seen or heard of any serious flooding. The flood watch for the Coosawattee was canceled this morning by the weather service. It rained fairly hard at times, and chances are there has been some damage to gravel roads and driveways.

I apologize to my regular readers for being out of action so long. It gets hectic in the office around the holidays, because so many of our people go away for a week or two, and those of us who are here seem to have a lot more to do. I'll try to get back on track soon. I'll should have the year-end numbers and market analysis by the end of next week, and I plan to post directions to two of my favorite hikes soon.

The beer and wine ordinance was passed, with minor revisions, by the outgoing commission. One of the changes was to reduce the required distance between churches and licensed premises by 100 feet, a change I suspect may have been made for the benefit of Cucina Rustica, which is close to the Lutheran church. The seating requirement was changed to sixty seats. The initial number of licenses was set at 25. There have been thirteen applications requested. Eight were by Howard Slaughter for the proposed Gatewood to Blue Ridge development. Others were El Sol Mexican, Bordertown Roadhouse, Cucina Rustica, The Lilly Pad, and the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant. There were three winery applications picked up, by Bubba Gibbs, Cline Bowers, and Joe Dickey of the Cider House.