Saturday, July 28, 2012

Things to do at The Lake














Things to do at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia!

Swim. Boat. Fish. Shop. Dine. Visit. Music. Dance. Stroll. Hike. Jog. Bicycle. Motorcycle. Swim. Tennis. Golf. Miniature golf. Archery. 



• Visit a winery
• Rent a boat
• Drive around
• Tour a log home
• Watch the sun come up and set
• See the fish at Bridgewater Plaza
• Go to our drive-in movie or theater
• Tour area attractions
• Visit the Dam
• See the Veterans Memorial in Bedford
• Ski downhill 12 months a year at Liberty University
• Work out or lay out
• Or just chill


1. Visit Alpaca by Jaca - Apparel, Gifts, Yarn and Clothing open at Smith Mountain Lake. Halesford Center. Shop in our store on Rt 122 near the Halesford Bridge or on line at www.AlpacaByJaca.com.
866 384-7080 or Sally@AlpacaByJaca.com


2. Visit the Showroom of LogHomesByJack.com
Located at Smith Mountain Lake on Rt 122
in the Halesford Center near The Bridge
Open 11:00 am to 6:00 pm T-W-Th-F-S 
and by appointment
800 767-4916 or Jack@LogHomesByJack.com


3. Music in the Park
Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Cloggers and Bands
Saturdays. Once a month. 8:00 to 10:00pm
May 26. June 23. July 28. August 25


4. SnowPlex at Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg
Across Rt 29/460 from Liberty University
Open year around for skiing, snowboarding and tubing.
Slopes for all ski levels

About 45 minutes from Smith Mountain Lake















This message is brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com. Serving Virginia from Smith Mountain Lake and North Carolina from the Piedmont Triad. Offering a very good combination of price, quality of materials and service. When in doubt, give Jack a shout. 800 767-4916.

Christmas in July at Alpaca by Jaca


Alpaca by Jaca
Apparel  •  Yarn  •  Gifts

www.AlpacaByJaca.com

Christmas in July

25% off on ALL items





Featuring Alpaca and alpaca blends for all ages

A very special Showroom inside the Showroom of LogHomesByJack.com

Spring and Summer Alpaca items
• Socks for all season including lounge socks and short ankle socks
• Therapeutic alpaca socks
• Vests and Ponchos - Light weight for cooler nights and grocery stores
• Stylish brimmed berets
• Caps for babies
• Yarn for knitters and weavers
• Teddy Bears. Finger puppets. Other stuffed animals

Shop on line at www.AlpacaByJaca.com

~ ~ ~
Order through the Showroom and Save!

If you do not see what you want,
we will order it for you.


Location:
Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, Virginia

Address:
Halesford Center on Rt 122 near Halesford Bridge
16483-G Moneta Road. Moneta, Virginia 24121

Summer Hours:
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Tuesday thru Saturday
Other times by appointment

For more information:
contact Sally at 866 384-7080

E-mail list. To be added to our list ...
Send us an email with Alpaca in the subject line

 -or - 
sign up online at AlpacaByJaca.com

ABJ Loyalty Program Ideas ...
What would you like to see in a Loyalty Program?



Coming soon:
Web site is available for on line ordering with

• PayPal
or
• Major credit cards
www.AlpacaByJaca.com
Twitter - Alpaca By Jaca
Facebook - AlpacaByJaca

Alpaca Items We Stock:

• Blankets
• Capes
• Caps

• Finger puppets
• Flutes etc
• Gloves and glittens

• Headbands
• Jackets

• Jewelry

• Ponchos
• Scarves
• Stuffed animals = furry friends

• Socks
• Sweaters
• Teddy Bears - furry friends


• Throws
• Vests, spring and summer
• Wraps


• Yarn ... and more

If you do not see what you want,
we will order it for you.


Characteristics of alpaca fiber and apparel:

• Aristocrat of the luxury fiber world
• More than 22 natural colors
• Naturally renewable luxurious fiber

• Softer and lighter than wool, yet warmer
• Rain resistant (warm even when wet)

• Resilient and breathable
• Warm in winter and cool in summer
• Wears like iron
• Resists odors

• Wrinkle resistant
• Hypoallergenic **
• Alpaca garments can last for many, many years

The best attribute our alpaca garments offer is the unmatchable texture and feel of pure alpaca

Washing instructions:

100% alpaca or wool blends
• Dry clean OR
• Gentle shampoo
• Do not machine wash
• Lay flat to dry

What you can machine wash
• Socks
• Other apparel as indicated on tag/label

Friday, July 27, 2012

Smith Mountain Lake Home For Sale


Smith Mountain Lake Home For Sale
Offered by Sally Hutslar, Realtor

Buyer's Agency
866 384-7080

Listed: $349,900 - Reduced to $319,900
MLS: 776056
Tax ID: 243B 1 30
Annual Taxes: $1,800
Style: Ranch with 3 BRs 2 BA
Attached garage: 2 car
Sunroom. Back deck.
Main floor finished: 2200 sf
Lower finished: 600 sf
Lower unfinished: 1600 sf
Total finished square feet: 2800
Year built: 2005, by owner
Acreage: 0.5 in Bedford County
View: Golf course

Location: Huddleston, Virginia at Smith Mountain Lake not far from Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bedford and Rocky Mount.


Location: Mariners Landing
Amenities: Boating. Docks. Golf. Tennis. Pools. Volleyball. Fitness center. Paths. Beach. Cabana.

Listing Agent. Contact:
Sally Hutslar, Realtor
866 384-7080
Sally@naysi.com
www.SallyHutslarRealty.com

Monday, July 23, 2012

Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia Facts and Things to do


Smith Mountain Lake

• a nice resort area
• 20,000 acre Lake
• 40 miles long
• 500 miles of shoreline
• Leesville Lake on the south side of the SML Dam
• Collection of many small communities surrounding the Lake

Dining. Shopping. Boating. Sailing.
Fish. Golf. Tennis. Swim.
Relax or Hang out. Entertainment.
House boats. Rental units galore.

Promotional You Tube video from the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce. Click Here. We live and work here. Like the people. Like the area. Close enough to big store shopping. Medical services for seniors.

A really brief history. Click Here.

A longer history from Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Click Here.

Visit the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce site for business listings, rentals, marinas, restaurants. boats and much more . . . Visit the Lake by Clicking Here.

Scroll on down for more SML information . . .

+ + + + +

Smith Mountain Lake is home of:

LogHomesByJack.com
Jack Hutslar, owner
800 767-4916
Jack@LogHomesByJack.com

Serving Virginia and North Carolina

• Log homes
• Timber Frame homes
• Recreational cabins for hunting & fishing areas

• Floor Plans
• Material Packages to your specifications

• Construction - shell/dry-in & turnkey
• Chinking
• Staining
• Renovations and additions
• Repairs

See "News from Jack" at www.LogHomesByJack.com

Authorized Dealer for
• Honest Abe Log Homes
• Sansin Enviro Stains
• Eagle Panel Systems [SIPs]

+ + + + +


Sally Hutslar, Realtor
Covering the 8 county Roanoke Valley Area
For: Land. Homes. Log homes. Farms. Condos. Rural land.
• 866 384-7080
• Sally@naysi.com

www.SallyHutslarRealty.com


+ + + + +

More about Smith Mountain Lake:
Situated near the South end of the Shennandoah Valley between Roanoke and Lynchburg to the North with Martinsville and Danville to the South.

• 110 miles or so from Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC
• 130 miles from Raleigh, NC
• 150 miles from Richmond, VA
• 210 miles from Charleston WV
• 225 miles from Washington DC
• 300 miles from Knoxville, TN
• 360 miles from Pittsburgh PA
• 400 miles from Columbus, Ohio
• 425 miles from Springfield, Ohio
• 425 miles from Atlanta, GA

• 500 miles of shoreline
• Fed by seven rivers including the Roanoke River
• with Leesville Lake on the south side of the SML Dam

• A collection of many small communities surrounding the Lake
• Numerous developments of many styles
• Many restaurants

• Five golf courses plus private tennis courts
• Booker T Washington National Park on Rt 122
• Featuring Smith Mountain Lake State Park & Visitors Center on Rt 626
• Featuring Smith Mountain Lake Dam & Visitor Center on the south side

• Blue Ridge Parkway just 30-40 minutes away at Roanoke and Rt 24 **

**Caution: Vehicles with display advertising on the front , back or sides will be ticketed. Seriously.

• National D Day Memorial in Bedford just 30 miles away
• Thomas Jefferson's Popular Forest just 35-45 minutes away
• Wineries



This message is brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com. Serving Virginia from Smith Mountain Lake and North Carolina from the Piedmont Triad. Offering a very good combination of price, quality of materials and service. When in doubt, give Jack a shout. 800 767-4916.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Tip: Create your own dream log home


The Honest Abe Log Home web site includes a new section that shows log homes that have been created by our customers. See Floor Plans at www.HonestAbe.com.


This section was created to show our clients that Honest Abe does more than the standard designs in our catalog. We frequently tell our clients that we do "custom" homes, but what does that really mean? To many people, it means that we can move some walls, doors and windows. This does not accurately describe the level of customization that Honest Abe dealers are capable of offering to our clients.

With these visual examples of plans by our customers, we wish to make our message more clear. This section of our web site can be found in the floor plans section. Currently, 15 custom plans are shown. More plans are expected to be added as this area continues to grow in popularity.

If we have a customer with a unique design, it may be added to our site.

For more information, contact Jack Hutslar at
800 767-4916
Jack@LogHomesByJack.com
www.LogHomesByJack.com
www.HonestAbe.com

This message is brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com. Serving Virginia from Smith Mountain Lake and North Carolina from the Piedmont Triad. Offering a very good combination of price, quality of materials and service. When in doubt, give Jack a shout. 800 767-4916.

Pirate Weekend Events at Smith Mountain Lake













July 20-21-22 
at Participating Merchants


Halesford Center on Rt 122 near the Halesford Bridge, Bedford County side ...

Sidewalk Sale Saturday the 21st

10:00 am to 1:00 pm ... and more

- Alpaca By Jaca: Apparel. Clothing. Yarn. Gifts for all ages. 25% off on all items through July 31, 2012.
- Glam Shop. Stylish Consignments Clothing.
- Lil Bo Teek. Children's clothing, furniture, toys, etc
- LogHomesByJack.com. Log Homes. Timber Frame Homes. Cabins. Stain. Story telling.
- Margeret Sutphin Insurance.
- Salon 74.
- Welcome Home Consignment. Furniture.




Bridgewater Plaza, Route 122, Halesford Bridge, Franklin County side ...


Bridgewater Marina - Treasure Hunt, WSLK Live Radio Remote, Giveaways & more
Reading with Noah - Children's Pirate weekend
Lake House Beanery - Official Pirate T-shirts for sale
Mangos - Pirate themed weekend, music by Dragonfly
Gifts Ahoy, Bridgewater Sportswear and Fun 'n' Games - 1st 200 children in the door will receive free Pirate stuff

VIRGINIA DARE CRUISES & MARINA ...

Come dressed in any kind of Pirate Attire, model for us and we will give you $1.00 off any sandwich at Portside per person or $1.00 off per person on a cruise for that weekend.Sunday, we will have a best dressed Pirate Contest. The Best Pirate costume will get either a Gift Certificate for 2 lunches from Portside, or 2 Sightseeing Passes for the Virginia Dare.

Smith Mountain Lake Farm Alpacas ...

Pirates on the Alpaca Farm!!! Dress like a pirate and get a free Treasure Map! Pirate treasure hunt amongst the alpacas. Know your Pirate facts and also learn about Alpaca facts! Every child who turns in their map gets a prize from the treasure chest of goodies! Pirate games all around the farm, vendors and crafts, demonstrations and Pirate music. $3 pp all ages on Saturday only! 12-5pm, Smith Mountain Lake Farm, Morewood Rd, Hardy, VA

Penhook Boat Dock ...

Kids mention the password "Shiver Me Timbers" and receive a FREE Pirate whistle and other surprises.

Smith Mountain Lake Banks ...

B. B. & T., Bank of Botetourt, Hometown Bank - Pirate Giveaways.For more information, click on www.smlpirate.com, or e-mail info@smlpirate.com.

Brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com, located in the Halesford Center on Rt 122 about 1/2 mile from the Halesford Bridge on the Bedford County side. Look for Sunoco. 

Benefits of a quality log home



Here is what the Log Home Council had to say about the benefits of building a quality log home!


Beyond a steady stream of visitors seeking to soak up some rustic ambiance and connect with Mother Nature, there are other advantages for owning a log home over more conventional construction. Longtime homeowners say log and timber homes offer rich rewards over the stick and brick homes of their neighbors. The benefits start with the building materials.

(1) Trees are Renewable Resource

Since trees are a renewable resource, log homes come with a solid green pedigree. When a home is made from solid logs, you are effectively taking the carbon contained in those logs out of environmental circulation over the entire life of the home. Moreover, some log home producers harvest standing dead timber (done in by pesky insects) or purchase logs from forests certified as sustainable. Some builders are constructing log homes to green building standards as well.

(2) Long Lasting

Got a know-it-all in the neighborhood who thinks his brick home is durable? Inform him that log homes still in use in Europe routinely date back more than 800 years. And one log-constructed church in Russia is reportedly more than 1,700 years young.

(3) Withstand Mother Nature’s Wrath

The log home industry has countless stories of these homes successfully weathering the worst weather Mother Nature can dish out, including the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When Rita’s winds caused a giant oak tree to crash through the roof of Menlo Klingman and his wife Mickey’s 1,700 square foot log home in Eastern Texas, the home’s solid log walls withstood the weight of the toppled tree and prevented more damage “There is no doubt in my mind that this log home saved our lives,” says Mickey.

(4) Fit the Land

Since this organic building material comes from nature, the resulting structures blend into the topography like a 10-point buck on opening day. Log homes naturally integrate right into the landscape, rather than being awkwardly imposed on it.

(5) Fast Framing

If you choose to use a precut and pre-drilled log system or a handcrafted home, the shell of your home can be framed on site faster than conventional stick framing, which will reduce the likelihood of weather-related damages or mold and mildew issues. With the right crew and building system, it can be weather tight in as little as two weeks—for an average sized home. In conventional construction, your home is exposed to the elements for far longer, which could lead to mold issues within framing of the home, where it can thrive undetected for years.

(6) Warmth of Wood

Warm to the touch (as opposed to the always chilly sheetrock), wood has something called “thermal mass,” a natural property in the logs that helps keep inside temperatures of homes comfortable in all seasons. This allows log walls to collect and store energy, then radiate it back into the home.

(7) Super Energy Efficient

Provided the home is sealed properly (between the foundation and the first course of logs, between log-to-log connections and where the roof system meets the log wall), you can have a super energy efficient home. Indeed, some builders routinely build log homes to meet the DOE’s “Energy Star” standards. This means it will be 30% more efficient than what building codes call for, saving you serious coin over the life of the home. “Today we can build a log home to be 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient than a conventional home,” says builder Mike Gingras, who has designed and built Energy Star-rated log homes for the past 18 years.

(8) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Hanging a picture in a home with drywall is a big ordeal, involving a stud finder, a hammer or drill and bruised fingers—maybe even a bruised ego, since your spouse may tell you to move the picture, requiring patch work. Homeowners report the simplicity of hanging a picture is one the simple joys of living in a log home.

(9) Rustic Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t High Tech

While rugged is appealing, roughing it is definitely out. That’s why today’s log homeowners increasingly want a hideaway that’s connected, automated and secure. Many log homeowners are adding backup generators (in case of power outages), security system and a CAT 5 wiring system that can accommodate high speed video, voice and data, as well as a host of new communication technologies on the horizon.

(10) The Eyes Have It

If you’re worried about mold, mildew or insect infestation, then a log home offers clear advantages since you’ll be able to see anything untoward, just by taking a stroll around your home and visually inspecting the logs. This quick detection leads to a less costly remedy. In contrast to a conventional home, the sealed wall cavities can be a hidden refuge for mold, mildew and insect infestation, which can cause far more damage before its detected.

(11) Superior Craftsmanship

Conventional custom homes can have their fare share of beautiful carpentry, but this is typically limited to trim and millwork. In log homes, examples of fine craftsmanship are at every turn, in the handcrafted staircase with its branch-like spindles and balustrade, in the hand-scribed large timbers overhead in the cathedral ceiling, in the one-of-a-kind light fixtures.

(12) Peace & Quiet

Log homes are often quieter than stick built homes, thanks to the same thermal mass that provides energy efficiency and the sound deadening affects of wood walls, according to a white paper produced by the National Association of Home Builders Log Homes Council. “The acoustical benefits of a log wall, therefore, are the reduced transmission provided by its solid mass and the sound deflection provided by the profile of the log (the angle, shape, and texture of the log surface),” the paper concludes.

A note from Jack. Log homes are the most natural and affordable of homes that can be built today. Considering the cost, there are few options that are as efficient and cost effective to build. The total cost of ownership of log homes, over time, is difficult to match or beat. Energy costs are very likely to become higher and higher until new forms of energy are developed and become commonly available. Until that happen, build a log home. Go Green Now.

Contact:
Jack Hutslar at 800 767-4916
Jack@LogHomesByJack.com
www.LogHomesByJack.com


_ _ _
This message is brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com. Serving Virginia from Smith Mountain Lake and North Carolina from the Piedmont Triad. Offering a very good combination of price, quality of materials and service. When in doubt, give Jack a shout. 800 767-4916.

Log Homes are Green



Log Homes are Energy Efficient and Eco-Friendly


Log Homes and Timber Frame Homes may have the lowest carbon footprint of any other type of construction. A carbon footprint is the measurement of carbon dioxide released as a result of using a particular product or other human activity. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere and major contributor to global warming.

A report prepared by the Edinburgh Center for Carbon Management (ECCM) compared the carbon dioxide footprints of three structures and the benefits when more timber was introduced into the construction. The results were astounding. ECCM estimated that there could be up to an 88% reduction of greenhouse gasesby using log or timber structural elements wherever possible rather than other conventional building materials. The reduction of greenhouse gases was achieved by replacing materials high energy, high CO2 production values, such as steel and concrete, with solid wood. The report states that the production of steel and concrete materials accounts for 10% of the total global emissions of greenhouse gases. These materials have a high CO2 output created during the extraction of raw materials, refining, processing and manufacturing of the finished product. As reported in a study published by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the energy consumed to process a tree into a finished sawn timber is about one-tenth of steel production.

In another report prepared by The Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) compared four different structure using different wall systems – two woods, one concrete and one steel. The report found that the steel wall system generated 33% more greenhouses gases than wood and the concrete wall generated 80% more greenhouse gases than wood. The study also reported that the wood structures out-performed the steel and concrete houses in energy use and the impact on air and water quality.

Wood walls are typically framed or solid. Conventionally framed walls use a combination a several materials including processed wood products such as plywood or other laminated wood products, fiberglass insulation, exterior siding, interior sheetrock and some type of wall covering. Solid wood walls using logs or timbers have basically one product – the log or timber. The energy consumed and the CO2 produced in the production of logs and timbers is a fraction compared to the production of all the various materials in a conventionally framed wall.

Consumers are much more aware the environmental impact of using different materials and are being increasing sensitive to the hazards of exposure to chemically processed materials. Logs and timbers are 100% natural. As a natural product, they do not emit VOCs or other pollutants into the outdoor or indoor space. Trees are produced from soil, water and air combined with the energy from the sun, in a miraculous process of photosynthesis. Ecologically and environmentally, solid wood is the only building product that is renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, energy efficient and extremely beautiful.

Sustained and plantation forest growth actually reduces greenhouse gases by consuming CO2 out of the atmosphere while the trees are growing. Political pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as the Kyoto Protocol, is sure to continue and it will become increasingly important to find solution. The use of solid wood construction such as log homes and timber homes can make a positive contribution.

Footnotes:

1. Forestry Commission Scotland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Comparison – Carbon benefits of Timber in Construction. Aug 2006.

2. Wood – another low carbon footprint solution. Feb-Mar 2006, ECOS 13.

3. The environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction Perez-Garcia, John, Bruce Lippke, David Briggs, James B. Wilson, James Boyer, and Jaime Meil. – http://houseplanstimberframe.com/

A note from Jack: The superior energy efficiency of log homes is explained in part by the concept of "thermal mass." It means that conventional structures heat and cool the air inside the structure. In log homes, the wood walls themselves become passive collectors or warm heating air in the winter or cooling air in the summer. Study that concept by going to your favorite search engine.



_ _ _
This message is brought to you by LogHomesByJack.com. Serving Virginia from Smith Mountain Lake and North Carolina from the Piedmont Triad. Offering a very good combination of price, quality of materials and service. When in doubt, give Jack a shout. 800 767-4916.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Tip: How to measure tenacity


Individual Initiative

Failed in business.................................. 1831
Lost election for state legislature................. 1832
Failed again in business............................ 1834

Sweetheart died..................................... 1835
Nervous breakdown................................... 1836
Lost second political race.......................... 1838

Defeated for Congress............................... 1843
Defeated for Congress................................1846
Defeated for Congress............................... 1848

Defeated for US Senate.............................. 1855
Defeated for Vice President......................... 1856
Defeated for US Senate...............................1858

Elected President....................................1860

Who is this person?

Abraham Lincoln