Greetings from The Smith House Staff!

As a cherished member of our Smith House Family, we would like to offer you an appreciation gift: a monthly calendar from our “My Appalachia: The Smith House Experience” series of photographs.

At left is a photo representation of the May calendar. To download the calendar to your computer, simply click on the image at left, or click here and a PDF file will appear. You can then select to print, or download your free “My Appalachia: The Smith House Experience” calendar.

For the best quality print for you calendar, use photo paper and set your printer on its highest quality color print setting.

A word about our “My Appalachia: The Smith House Experience” calendar series: Our calendars are being produced exclusively for us by local resident, Dallas Kinney. This month’s calendar photograph is of Native Azaleas, in bloom. The photograph was made in west-central Lumpkin County.

Kinney has a long history in communications as a writer, photojournalist, director of graphic arts, and editor, for the Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post, and Philadelphia Inquirer, and numerous magazines and organizations.

He studied with the icon of nature photography, Ansel Adams, and is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for his photojournalism series: “Migration to Misery.” Kinney's area photographs, which constitute the “My Appalachia: The Smith House Experience” series, will be most visible to you at your next visit to The Smith House.

Should you wish own a print of the photograph on our April “My Appalachia: The Smith House Experience” calendar, a 11x17 giclee print, suitable for framing, and signed by Dallas Kinney, is available for $150.00, plus shipping and handling. The transaction can be completed by calling us at 800-852-9577 and mentioning the “Native Azalea” print.

Adobe's Acrobat Reader is needed to open the file for printing. It should be resident on your computer, if not it can be downloaded for free at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Below are few of the activities which are a hop-skip-and-a-jump from our front porch, in May:

Ranger Camp Open House

You are invited to come watch as some of the Army's finest soldiers demonstrate the skills and professionalism of the American Ranger, at Camp Frank C. Merrill's Annual Open House, on Saturday May 10th, 2008. Equipment used by the US Army Rangers in carrying out their mission will also be on display, including helicopters, night vision devices, weapons, and parachutes. One of the most visible outreach activities the Rangers have with the Lumpkin County community is the annual Open House. Each year during the spring, Camp Frank C. Merrill opens the camp and facilities to the public for a day. Visitors are able to see examples of the mountain phase of Ranger training and numerous displays.

2008 Mountain Flower Art Festival in Dahlonega

The Mountain Flower Art Festival (MFAF) is a juried fine arts festival located on the historic square of the scenic mountain village of Dahlonega, Georgia, Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18, 2008 from 10am - 5pm. This fine arts festival, a mere two-minute walk from The Smith House, has been on the square now for 20 years. Handcrafted art, ranging from watercolors, painters, potters, silversmiths, photographers to weavers will be on display. There will also be various performing artists playing during the weekend on the square. The Fine Art & Fine Crafts Fair will also include a Garden Expo at Hancock Park presented by the Master Gardeners of Lumpkin County which includes a Plant Sale, demonstrations, Wildflower Walk and Wildflower Display

To discover other area activities that The Smith House will be in-the-very-center off click on this link: http://www.chambermaster.com/directory/events.jsp?ccid=69