Thankfulness

It's been just over a year that Jim and I purchased the White Mountain Lodge in Greer and put our Phoenix home on the market.  It's been a year of major transitions for us and we are so thankful for so many things: good friends and supportive family who prayed with and for us, new friends in Greer, a new church home in Springerville, a kitchen remodel that enables us to serve a wonderful breakfast to our guests, hard work and a lab puppy that keeps us fit, Jim being able to work remotely with Honeywell, and the incredible beauty of this part of Arizona.
Every day is truly a day of thanksgiving, regardless of our circumstances!  There are trying times of something breaking down at an inopportune time, a never ending to-do list, Jim got Shingles and the flu, we've had a few unpleasant guest experiences...yet in everything, even the trials, we are to give thanks because we know that they are working out patience, endurance and strength.
We spent two days in Tucson with family from far and near enjoying fabulous food and fellowship. Yesterday, the first day of Winter Wonderland in Greer, we had about 70 people come through the lodge to enjoy Christmas crafts, a warm fire and a buffet of treats and hot cider.  (Thank you Mom for sending me home with delicious home baked goodies to serve!)  Every child and most of the adults had to also go out back to meet Zella and be licked.  Our pup had a great day!
We are thankful to meet people from all over who we have the privilege to host at the lodge and we have enjoyed having our families come and see our new home.  It's very fun when we have friends we've made from our 26 years in Phoenix come and see our place and even better when they stay and we get to serve them.  It gives us great joy to have people enjoy the lodge and this beautiful little valley of Greer nestled in the pines.  For all this and so much more we are thankful.

Critter Tracks

 Last night I traveled back from Phoenix to our lodge in Greer and encountered snow from Payson on up.  The trip took a bit longer, with decreased visibility, snow on the road, and for a distance following a snow plow, though slow, was nice to have a guide.
In the morning, the back lawn at the lodge looked like their had been a bit of activity with lots of tracks.

This evening, Zella and I headed up to the East Fork Road for a walk.  It is amazing how she can sense animals long before I can.  She stopped dead in her tracks and was gazing across the road and then I was delighted by a large herd of elk. In the distance were gunshots, but these magnificent animals were busy pawing through the snow for food, seeming to know they were safe from hunters this close to civilization.  Zella parked in the snow, sat still, gazing at them, as did I, until I was getting too cold.  Within 30 minutes of getting back to the lodge, Zella growled and barked while we were in the office. Not even able to see, she knew something was outside.  We went to the back door and quietly stepped outside to see a herd of elk down in the meadow, not 10 feet from the back yard.  We kept an eye on each other for a few minutes and then Zella and I went in so they could continue to forage in peace.

Painting Pinecones

I've been collecting pine cones on walks with Zella.  Got them all cleaned up.  Put them all on an old sheet.  Spray painted them gold.  I have about 200 of them.  Hope it's enough!
Our little village is getting ready for Winter Wonderland.  At last night's planning meeting, I got to meet Mrs. Claus.  Santa was sick.  I also met some very nice elves.  Last year 400 children came to write letters, have pictures with Santa, listen to a story from Mrs. Claus and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate at our little community center.  Local business owners can open up their places for other activities for visitors and we will have the fun of participating this year.  We will be one of the stops on the hop-on-hop-off hayride.
Kids can decorate a pine cone with sequins and glitter to take home.  If I run out of pine cones, I have a back up plan for making snowflakes.  We'll also have a Christmas shop, featuring Becky Economides' works of art.  She crafts beautiful carousel horses and fashions adorable clay ornaments. She is designing a woodlands animal series for the Christmas shop.  Visitors can sample home baked Christmas goodies and have a hot cup of cider.
Shauna, at 92 Beans, our cute little coffee and ice cream shop, will have ornament making going on. Ryan and Amy, new managers for Greer Peaks will be decorating cookies with kids.  They have a great sledding hill if we have good snow!  Dolores has an adorable shop called the Grey Goose and will have some yummy treats available.
I am getting excited for lots of folks to come and experience a little Christmas wonder, but in the mean time, I've got to get busy, busy, busy, decorating and baking!

All is Quiet

Things are quiet this week at the lodge, which is a blessing since Jim is recovering from a nasty respiratory virus and I just got it.  The quiet and illness has me resting, reading, and doing work on the computer, such as updates on our new website, setting up a business account with Trip Advisor, getting through the paperwork pile.  I even watched the full length version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth.
It's a cold, windy, snowy day here in Greer.  The few leaves left on the trees are coming down. Everyone in Greer is hoping for a good season due to the predicted snow.  So I say, let it snow!