About Fannin County, GA

We're fortunate to live in Murphy, NC and be just minutes to the TN and GA state lines.
One of our favorite stops to make over in the Blue Ridge, GA area is at the Mercier Orchards for their famous Fried Pies. Of course we usually leave with some Apple Bread and Cider too.

Mercier Orchards is a family owned and operated apple orchard. Started back in 1943 by Bill & Adele Mercier, Mercier Orchards is now celebrating 66 years of fruitful harvests. One stop at Mercier Orchards will send your senses into overdrive. Bushels of apples, fresh from the surrounding orchard, invite you to taste and there are plenty of samples to try. Bottles of fresh cider, jams, jellies and other gourmet treats are ready for you to take home or have shipped. Not only have the bakery, but you'll love the deli and their home made pecan chicken salad. They also offer a unique variety of farm toys, pet items, kitchen items, home decor, local vegetables and a meat and cheese shop. You won't want to miss this stop!

STORE HOURS - OPEN ALL YEAR LONG! OPEN LATE TO EIGHT
MONDAY -SATURDAY 8:00-8:00, SUNDAY 8:00-8:00
Toll Free: 1-800-361-7731 www.mercier-orchards.com

AUGUST 2009 CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR BLUE RIDGE GEORGIA AND SURROINDING AREAS

Aug 1 / Folk Life Traditions Unicoi State park, Helen, GA. Demonstrations of everyday mountain-living skills. Includes candle dipping, cider making, folk toys and butter churning. Concert on Fri and a community dance on Sat. (800) 573-9659 ext. 305 www.gastateparks.org


Aug. 1 – 22 / The Fantastiks By Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt.
Blue Ridge Community Theatre. Fri & Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm. One of the longest running plays off Broadway, a famous story of “a boy, a girl, two fathers and a wall.” An evening of theatrical magic. (706) 632-9223 www.blueridgecommunitytheater.com

Aug. 1 – Oct. 30 / Pickin’ in the Park
Downtown Ellijay OR 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

August 1 / Smokey Bear’s Birthday party Ocoee Whitewater center, Ducktown, TN. Celebrate Smokey’s Birthday 10am – 2pm. Free Cake & Ice Cream, cake carved at 1pm. Games, activities, fire prevention messages and prize drawings. (423) 496-0104 www.fs.fed.us

August 14 & 15 / Rodeo Kiwanis fairgrounds, blue ridge, GA. Rodeo starts at 8pm. Bull riding, saddle bronc. Riding, calf roping and other events. Children under 8 free! (706) 276 7458

August 15 / Benefit Auction & Gala
John C. Campbell Folk School. Murphy, NC. 1pm – 5pm The folk school will entertain an audience of art lovers and school supporters at its annual benefit auction on Saturday. Featuring numerous one-of-a-kind handcrafted items donated by talented craftspeople. Proceeds benefit the educational programs at the folk school. Summer Buffet Lunch beginning at noon. (828) 837-2775 www.folkschool.org

August 29 – Oct 6 / Quilt Exhibit Blue Ridge Mountains art Assn. Community Quilt exhibit (706) 632-2144 www.brmaa.com

I thought that title might get your attention.

I had some really good news from our company's mortgage specialist that I thought I'd share. There's been enough bad news passed around...I feel we are all overdue something positive. According to her industry sources, (from figures derived from area appraisals and AVMs) in our county and surrounding counties (according to zip code), we have moved from the soft (declining) market list to the stable market conditions list! It's official...things are looking up!

AMEN! I've been so ready to hear those words. In our office, it has felt like things have been picking up, but I didn't want to jump the gun and get my hopes up too high, but this confirms what I've been seeing... the market is like a patient on the mend, and has moved from intensive care to patient discharge. Good health looks inevitable, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The indicator from the finance companies underwriting engine has shown our area's zip codes in decline since early 2008, but now that our market has stabilized, LTVs should be on the rise for our Buyers, as well.

So I am all for spreading the word..."We have scraped bottom and are on our way back up." Buyers: Time to BUY... don't miss your chance.

One of the things I absolutely love about living in Blue Ridge Georgia is that even though we are far removed from the hustle and bustle of the modern world in many ways, in just over an hour, we can be in one of the largest cities in the United States: Atlanta.

Yesterday, we took the whole family to see “The Jersey Boys” a Broadway musical at the fabulous Fox Theater. This is not a review of the show, though it was fantastic…I’d recommend it to anyone, especially if you know anyone from Jersey.

It’s just so great to be able to access that level of performance from where we live. Pablo Picasso said that Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, and life in Blue Ridge can get pretty dusty. It is so refreshing to take a day trip down to the city and briefly experience the energy and dynamics of city living.

Of course it isn’t long before the noise, traffic and crowded conditions work their magic, and we all long for the peace and solitude that abounds in Blue Ridge. Just the same, it’s amazing that every show I’ve seen on Broadway has come to Atlanta. There’s so much culture, arts & events every week that you can always find something to do there. And when I’ve had my fill of city life, I can go home and rest my head in my own log cabin in the mountains; where life runs at a slower pace, and so does my blood pressure. Amen.