Blue Ridge, GA

May 1 – Oct. 30 / Pickin’ in the Park

Downtown Ellijay/Horseshoe Bend park in McCaysville. Local Musician jam gathering. Bluegrass, country, Gospel and rock-n-Roll 6pm – dark. Free Family Fun! All are Welcome! (706) 635-5961 wilmar225@yahoo.com

May 1 / Culinary Art Celebration

The Martyn House. 912 Flat Branch Rd. Fri. Night culinary event featuring refreshments, appetizers and silent auction of registered and visiting artists. 7pm – 9pm (706) 635 – 4759 www.themartynhouse.com

May 8 – 31 / “Harvey” Blue Ridge Community Theater

An eccentric comedy by Mary Chase involving a polite, cheerful main character, a hilarious cast and of course, a giant 6 ft tall while rabbit. (706) 632-9223 www.blueridgecommunitytheater.co

May 9 / Georgia Classic Car Show

Historic Downtown Blue Ridge. 9am – 4:30pm. Door prizes and trophies for the top 25 trucks and 50 cars. (706) 632 – 3656

May 9 / JAKES Day Helen, GA. 10am – 2pm. JAKES stands for: juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. Enjoy a day filled with reptiles, archery, primitive skills, raffle ticket drawings, free lunch and other activities. Co-Sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. (706) 878-3087 www.gastateparks.org

May 9 / CCC Reunion Vogel State Park, Blairsville, GA. 10am

Join the boys of the “Tree Army” as they tell stories of the New Deal era. Tours of the CCC Museum, food and drinks provided. (706) 745-2628 www.gastateparks.org

May 16 / Smokie Mountains Melodies Chorus

Fannin County performing Arts Center. 7pm The Sweet Adelines int. Chapter consisting of over 40 members singing in exquisite 4 part harmony. (706) 632-7445

May 16 & 17 / Bread & Puppet Theatre Helen, GA.

The Cheap Art movement was launched in 1982 by the bread & puppet Theatre whose philosophy is, “art becomes political whether you like it or not…” A street theatre performance that invokes thought while making its audience laugh, Bread & Puppet tours the Country . Featuring handmade art for sale. This is a performance you won’t want to miss! (706) 878-3300 www.breadandpuppet.com

May 22 - 25 / Memorial Day Blast

Unicoi State Park, Helen, GA. 8pm – 9pm. Join in relay races, campfires, music and a hoedown. (800) 573-9659. www.gastateparks.org

May 23 & 24 / Arts In The Park

33rd annual Arts in the park Festival in historic downtown Blue Ridge. Featuring over 200 arts, crafts, and food booths and the best in demonstrations, music and dance. Recognized as one of the top 20 events by the Southeastern Tourism Society. Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Assn. (706) 632-2144 www.brmaa.net

The area of the country I live in is, in my humble opinion, is one of the most beautiful areas of this great country. The Southern Appalanchians offer some of the most spectacular views and countryside you may have ever seen. Most people who come here make remarks like "it's like a postcard" or "It's like in a movie". Well that may very well be the case, as our own Fannin County has been the site of some movie filming this year.

In McCaysville Georgia, producer Randi Johnson oversaw the shooting of a new film pilot, "Charlie". The plot boils down to a Grandfather/Grandson team-effort detective story. The setting for the film is the old train trestle crossing over the Toccoa River. The authentic boxcars and locomotive from the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway were borrowed for the filming.

Another film, title not yet disclosed, was shooting in Southern Georgia, and one of the film's stars came up to Blue Ridge on their break to buy a getaway place here in the mountains. With my help, they found a great little cabin with acreage and plan to visit it often, between shooting movies.

The state of Georgia actually gives tax incentives for production companies that come to film in the state, providing there is a win-win benefit from the influx of business from their efforts, but that's not the reason these folks are coming to Georgia. There's a majesty and a magic to this area, an old time community and sense of values that remind us of where and when we grew up, and it doesn't take a team of movie star detectives to figure out what a special place Blue Ridge is, or why so many people choose to live and visit here. You can find us in the movies, or just plan a vacation and see it for yourself. I suggest the latter.

So it never fails, I leave the office for a 2-day trip, and within hours of getting in the car and hitting the road, I get a call and I find I'm in negotiations for a big involved contract on one of my listings. Then, another deal I have put to bed until closing, opens itself up to some new dilemmas, and I am pulling off the road to the nearest Starbucks so I can get on the wireless network and start my email correspondence with all parties to remedy the situation.

Now I swear, If I were in the office, nothing would be going on, but it's like a magic charm, if ever I go away from the office for any reason, WHAM, stuff happens. I'm beginning to think I need to go away more often... it's so good for business... but the stress would kill me.

I am supposed to be leaving right after I get back. I am scheduled to take my wife overseas for her birthday, but I'm thinking that I'd better get a global phone and bring my laptop with me, because if I am going that far for 5 whole days, I can only imagine how crazy busy things are going to get. I must admit I am awfully grateful, after all, these are the problems we all need more of, eh.

I love good, brick-oven baked pizza. For me, there's nothing like it. There are several great pizzerias in Atlanta, but that's almost 2 hours from where we live up here in the North Georgia mountains, so I have been "jonesing" for a great pizza joint to come to this area.

The Blue Ridge area has several franchise pizza joints, but if you are a "pizza snob", which I have found out recently, I AM, there is a taste of Italy right here in our own back yard.

In Ellijay, Georgia, in a strip mall across from a Dominos Pizza, is a slice of Italy called Il Forno. The name means, brick-oven or fired oven, and there is one such firey pit right in the kitchen of this classic Italian restaraunt.

As soon as you step through the front doors, you are transported from the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the Italian countryside, with elaborate decor, and a classical jazz pianist playing live music Thursday thru Sunday evenings. Through the tinted windows one can see flying saucers of pizza dough being hand spun through the air, and the gas-fired oven where the pizza's cook before your eyes.

Executive Chef and owner, Greg Richter, prides himself on selecting only the finest, freshest, tastiest ingredients for assembling his menu, and it's apparent when you taste anything from the fantastic meats and pastas, right down to the ceasar salad and scrumptious pizzas.

My favorite pizza is "The Purist", a mozzarella and peccorino cheese pizza with fresh roast garlic. Yummm. I will warn you, that the "monster" size pizza is over 24" across, and too huge for description. The pizza will not fit on your table and a slice will not fit on your dinner plate. We have found that a medium pizza will feed from 2-3 hungry people, and we are speaking from experience, as folks who can pack away the pie.

All in all, for atmosphere, service and flavor, I am getting more than my fix for true Italian Pizza at Il Forno, and I give it my full endorsment for all "Pizza Snobs", whoever you are.

IL FORNO is located in Ellijay Georgia's (Walmart) Shopping Center, 29 Highland Drive, Suite 112 706/515-1555