I don’t think anyone could fully keep abreast of all the happenings at Smith Mountain Lake and surrounding counties, because it seems there are always interesting things going on in our neck of the woods. When I find tidbits that might be worthy of note I like to pass them on. Check out the items of interest below. 

We love to hear from our readers. Send us an email if you know of things going on around the Lake that others would like to know.

Express Motivation and Express Yourself through an education at Virginia Western Community College. Virginia Western is close to home-we are now located in the Franklin Center, 50 Claiborne Ave., Rocky Mount. They offer day, evening, weekend, hybrid and distance learning classes. Summer registration is underway. Visit www.virginiawestern.edu or call the Rocky Mount office at (540) 483-0179.

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Whether your Mother (or the person who Mothered you), lives at Smith Mountain Lake or hundreds of miles away, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to share your love and appreciation for all they have meant to you.

It is rare to find anyone in this world who does not have a Mother, surrogate Mom, Mother figure, or some female who nurtured them along while growing up. Hopefully we are all learning that gratitude and love towards those women should be a daily activity. I simply look at Mother’s Day as another good excuse to bless my Mom the way she has blessed me throughout the years.

Here are some fun facts about Mother’s Day, it’s origins and history:

The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May.  Mother’s Day was loosely inspired by the British day honoring Mothers and was imported by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War. [Read more →]

Have you heard about Serenity Estates at Smith Mountain Lake? If not, you probably will at some point as it is one of the areas newer developments and has an unusual twist to it’s existence.

Serenity Estates is a 205-acre subdivision with 11 (15 to 25 acre) tracts that cannot be further subdivided. That size of lot alone is an unusual characteristic. Most properties can be divided down to as small as 5 acre plots even in the country. But acreage is not the only thing that sets Serenity Estates in a category of it’s own. It is intended to be a “green” community, where people who are concerned about the environment can establish homes and protect a way of life that chooses harmony with nature over ‘progress’.

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The Smith Mountain Lake Boating Association holds an annual charity event on the 3rd weekend in May each year, called the Tom Maynard Memorial Poker Run. I knew it obviously had something to do with boating, and the name made it sound like a card game. So this year I tracked down a little more detailed information about this event. As it turns out, this fundraiser sounds rather fun. 

The Poker Run actually starts on the Friday before the event. Everybody signs in to receive their Captain’s Packet, and then they proceed to have a lively night with a delicious dinner, music and entertainment, and a special boating safety orientation. Then on Saturday, May 17th the main phase of the event begins.

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Not far from Smith Mountain Lake is a lovely little park in Franklin Co. called Waid Park. On Saturday, May the 10th there will be a wonderfully unusual event held at this scenic park.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office  invites you and your K-9 partner to participate in the Virginia Police Work Dog Association’s 10^thAnnual Iron Dog Challenge. The Iron Dog Challenge is a rugged 3 mile course carved through the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in scenic Waid Park  http://www.franklincountyva.org/parks/park_waid.htm located in Franklin County, Virginia. Handler and dog will run this course that has natural and man made obstacles, pistol shoot, water crossing, dog carry, and other endurance type tasks.  There will be a walk through and cook out on Friday, May 9th. 

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I am sure the spam that circulates on our emails at Smith Mountain Lake is no different than that anywhere in the world. It’s often quite obnoxious, and the friends who do mass forwards are rather frustrating as well. However, every once in a while a fact or fiction passes through cyberspace that is really worth reading. Who knows where they originate, but if they inspire us to be better people, they are worth the energy. I hope you will enjoy the one I have chosen to share below.

THE CONCERT

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the Mother returned to her seat and discovered that her youngest child was missing from his seat. The elder two children had been talking and not noticed when he had slipped away.

Suddenly the lights went down and the curtains parted and the spotlight focused on the impressive Steinway Piano on the stage. To her horror, the Mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out the tune to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’. 

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