Page 12B - The Smith Mountain Eagle, S.M. Lake, VA Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Planners are delighted withearly responses to invitationsto exhibit at the 17th annualSmith Mountain Lake WineFestival, scheduled for Sept.24-25 on the Lakefront mead-ow at Bernard’s LandingResort and Conference Center.

“Early replies are just aboutguaranteeing this to be thebiggest Festival yet,” saidVicki Gardner, ExecutiveDirector of the SML Chamberof Commerce/Partnership.“We’ve already had 20 vint-ners reserve their tasting tents,so Festival visitors are assuredof experiencing a wide selec-tion of fine Virginia wines.”

Even the newest area wineryis planning to attend. “We justopened our doors in July,” saidDrema Sylvester of WhiteRock Vineyards & Winery.“But you aren’t really in thewine business in southernVirginia until your officialdebut at the SML WineFestival.” White Rock will bepouring five wines for visitorseager to taste vintages fromgrapes grown in Goodview,just a few miles from the Lake.

Also new to the Festival thisyear will be Davis ValleyWinery of Rural Retreat, Va.,two hours south of Roanoke.“As a second year winery,we’re anxious to becomeknown throughout Virginia,”said co-owner Rusty Cox.“And we hope to encouragevisitors to the SML Festival toalso attend our summerAmphitheatre events nextyear.”

Other wineries that havesigned on include: AmRheinWine Cellars, BarboursvilleVineyards, Cardinal PointVineyard, Chateau Morrisette,Cooper Vineyards, FirstColony Winery, Hickory HillVineyard, Horton Vineyards,Lake Anna Winery, Peaks ofOtter Winery, RebecVineyards Inc., RockbridgeVineyards, The WilliamsburgWinery, Tomahawk MillWinery, Valhalla Vineyard,Villa Appalaccia andWintergreen Winery. All willbe pouring their current vin-tages for Festival visitors whopurchase “Taster” wrist bands.

Sponsors, too, are supporting

the Festival in a big way.Westlake Signs & DesignGroup has taken the singleavailable Platinum sponsorshipfor the second consecutiveyear. Dabareiner & Associates- Ameriprise Financial hassigned on for a Gold sponsor-ship. Silver Sponsors include:Allstate Thomas & WyattAgency; Aztec Rentals; JoanGriffith/Long & Foster;Leisure Publishing; SouthernStates Electric; The Gilbert

Law Firm, PC; “The Pointe” atMariners Landing; WaterfrontProperties; and WindstarProperties.

Bronze sponsors to date are:Bank of the James Mortgage;Capps Home Building Center;Countrywide Home Loans;First National Bank; FirstNational Bank of Altavista;Exceptional Properties, Inc.;Mango’s Bar & Grill; MortonBuildings; Inc; Phil HagerInsurance Agency; P.A.C.

Interiors & Floor Fashions;Piedmont Style; Re/MaxLakefront Properties, Inc.;Smith Mountain Dock &Lodge; Shoprite; Sun TrustBank; The Roanoke Times;The Willard Companies;Turner’s Dock Building; andValley Bank.

Advance tickets for the WineFestival can be purchased online at www.visitsmithmoun-tainlake.com or from any ofthe sixteen area retailers listed

on the site. Tickets are $15 fortasters and $8 for non-tastersthru 5 p.m. Sept. 21. ($20 &$10 at the gate).

Music for listening anddancing will be provided by“Domino” on Saturday and“Fuzzy Logic” on Sunday.Extensive craft exhibitors anda variety of food vendors willalso be on hand.

Ali is a 19-year-old rescuedArabian gelding who now lives at theRoanoke Valley Horse Rescue inHardy. He doesn’t feel well—his hindlegs are badly swollen from an acci-dent and he’s lost weight. However,Ali has a strong will to survive soequine rescuer Pat Muncy won’t giveup on him.

Besides giving Ali lots of personalattention and providing veterinarycare, Pat allows Reiki practitionerDiane Novak to work with him.While Reiki is not a replacement forgood vet care, it will complimentAli’s treatment.

When asked to define Reiki, Novaksaid, “Reiki is a subtle, non-invasivetype of healing where energy flowsfrom the practitioner to the client bytouch—or laying on—of hands.”Benefits of Reiki, she explains,include relief from pain due to injuryor chronic conditions, deep relax-ation, support for the immune system,and removal of energy blockages. Aliseems to enjoy what she does.

Novak has always been interestedin alternative medicine, but if shehadn’t had a cold, she might not have

discovered Reiki. “I was going tocancel a massage because of feelingreally badly congested,” she said.“My massage therapist said to comein—she wanted to trythis new ‘healing’technique on me.During the session Ifelt her hands getincredibly warmwhere my congestionwas the worst. Withinminutes I heard apop, a swish, and in ashort time my laboredbreathing becamesmooth. ‘What didyou just do?’ I askedin amazement, andher answer was,‘Reiki.’ I knew I had to learn thisamazing technique.”

A newcomer to the SmithMountain Lake area, Novak wasinvolved with animal rescue inupstate New York for twelve yearsand has been practicing Reiki for fouryears. She began working with horsesabout two years ago. “After learningReiki, I knew I wanted to work notonly on people but also on animals.”Before she moved to the Hardy areain early June, she emailed a few res-

cue groups and offered to donateReiki. Pat Muncy responded rightaway; her Roanoke Valley HorseRescue depends upon donations of all

kinds. Muncy was will-ing to accept any serv-ice that will help heranimals feel better. Andthe horses do seem toenjoy Novak’s atten-tion.

While Novak workswith Ali, his paddock-mate Maggie, looks on.Maggie, a very preg-nant mare who will foalany day now, roamedloose with her daughterfor two years in theJefferson National

Forest before they were captured andsent to RVHR in May. In a nearbypaddock, five blind horses keep eachother company. In another paddock,two adorable mini-horses, whose for-mer owner had to go to assisted liv-ing and couldn’t keep them, charmanyone who passes by. In a largerpaddock, a group of mares placidlygraze.

Several horses bear scars of pastinjuries, such as Blair who has dam-aged hind legs from a trailer accident.

A few others, like the paint marePromise, are recovering fromfounder. Abby, a pony, is overcomingher attitude problems caused by aprevious owner. A few others—likeMaggie’s daughter Mae—are fine. Allseem happy to be at RVHR. Of the18 horses in residence, more than adozen are currently available foradoption or foster care.

Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue willhave an open house on Sept. 4. Comeout and meet the horses and thosewho care for them. More informationabout RVHR horses, services, andactivities is available online atwww.rvhr.com. More informationabout Diane Novak and her servicesis at www.reikipets.com.

Photo courtesy of Ted Pratt

Wine tasting, dancing to great music and shopping for crafts are all part of the experience at the September SmithMountain Lake Wine Festival. This year's event will be Sept. 24-25 on the Lakeshore at Bernard's Landing Resort.

Wine festival maybe ‘biggest yet’

Reiki treatment compliments vet horse careBy BECKY MUSHKOSpecial to the S.M. Eagle

Diane Novak walks among some of the horses at the Roanoke ValleyHorse Rescue center in Hardy.

A newcomer to theSmith MountainLake area, Novakwas involved withanimal rescue inupstate New Yorkfor twelve years

and has been prac-ticing Reiki for

four years.

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