Jayne Williamson, REALTOR, Broker, GRI

Edneyville, NC received a "Community of Promise" award at WNC Communities' annual awards program at the Grove Park Inn. $1,000 came with the recognition. The awards recognize communities that have implemented programs to address residents' needs, ranging from a food pantry to litter sweeps to farmland preservation.

Maureen Bray, Staging that Sells Portland Homes just announced that ActiveRain is sponsoring yet another points contest. This one is all about Giving Back to Your Community which is a great concept as it benefits everyone. The fact that we as ActiveRain Bloggers can add 1,000 points to our tally is just icing-on-the-cake!

I am so proud to be affiliated with Keller Williams Realty Mountain Partners in Hendersonville, NC. Our office is a Huge supporter of the community and of each other. Today, they announced that we are going to place a large barrel in the lobby to collect food and baby supplies for Hearts With Hands.

It seems we are always collecting money for either one of the agents that need our help or someone in the community. Just last week one of the local schools called an agent in our office to say that there were a couple of families in their school that needed money for food. We passed around the collection bottle at our "Team Meeting" yesterday for the agents to add money. We collected around $250 for these families in short order.

Giving Back. Giving of ourselves. We always get way more in return than we can ever give; no matter how big or how small the contribution or the gesture. Open up your heart and yourself this Season of Giving and tell the World about it!

Last Saturday, as part of the VISION Henderson County Class of 2010-11, we visited the Hendersonville Train Depot just off of Historic Seventh Avenue. It was my first time there and I was very impressed with the details that the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club have used on their different train setups. The Depot is open every Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm and admission is free, but donations are accepted. Over 100 years old, the Depot was leased to the City of Hendersonville by Norfolk-Southern

There is a special section for children that features "Thomas-the-Train" and other trains that is located in the back room only about three feet off the ground.

Members of the Railroad Club are on hand to answer questions from visitors and are repairing trains and tracks as well as working on new designs.

If you haven't been, you should plan to go soon! There is a rich history here with the Saluda Grade just down the road from Hendersonville...it was the steepest grade in the East. Summer camps abound in the area and in years past, campers came up from the Low-Country of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to spend the summer. Many of them arrived by train. In later years they returned to live in the area.

ALL ABOARD!!

A snowstorm hit Western North Carolina this past Friday snarling traffic and hampering people from getting to the stores for their last minute Christmas shopping. Luckily I had already made the traditional milk and bread run that everyone has to do whenever bad weather is predicted in the south!

Now we typically don't have days and days of snow...but we did have a couple of days this time around...nor will most of us starve to death if we didn't make the trek to the grocery store. The biggest obstacle to overcome is power outages. We usually lose power for a few hours at the most but some up to 10 days during the Blizzard of '93, so we have a generator and backup heat. This time is no different for thousands of folks in the area and surrounding counties. About 15,000 are still without power today...Monday 12/21/09...as I write this.

The power crews are diligently trying to restore power, but the trees just keep toppling over from the weight of the snow and the ungodly amount of rainfall that we have had this year...well over a foot over the norm. Temperatures in the 20's at night make it difficult to work as well as the icing that occurs overnight. Road crews are still not on the secondary roads and when they do make to them, they find downed power lines and trees to impede their progress.

So while it looks pretty, we are glad that it is a rare occurrence to have a Winter Wonderland even if we are in the mountains. If we had them more often, then maybe we would learn to cope better.

The 63rd annual NC APPLE FESTIVAL HAD RECORD ATTENDANCE this past weekend in Hendersonville. The total numbers aren't in yet, but the feeling among the vendors was that the crowds were larger and their profits were bigger than in years past. Everything from home-churned apple ice cream to fried apple pies and caramel apples were offered up for sale. The streets were packed with vendors selling unique handmade crafts in between the apple grower's booths.

North Carolina ranks seventh in apple production in the United States and Henderson County produces the most. Hail, too much rain, frost and the spring freezes took a bite out of the apple crop. The yield this year is down about 40% but the apples overall are sweeter and bigger because of it.

The crowds enjoyed live music throughout the four-day event at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse that was completely renovated in recent years and is now a museum for all to enjoy. Downtown Hendersonville comes alive during the summer months with Music on Main and Monday Night Street Dances.

The rest of the year there are car shows, gallery strolls and antique shows as well as other events to bring people downtown. You never know who will show up. Even Elvis (Impersonators) occasionally visit to perform.

If you missed this year's NC Apple Festival, make plans to attend next year. It's held every year on Labor Day Weekend in downtown Hendersonville.

What was your favorite thing about this year's Apple Festival? Food? Music? Crafts?