A Time to Reflect...

New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on the past year...

To look at the past year with clear vision...and while not ignoring the failures and disappointments, truly focusing on that which we are grateful for...

Remembering our accomplishments...but most importantly... remembering and focusing on our many blessings.  

Thank you all for joining me on my journey in God's country this past year. 

You are all a part of my greatest blessings!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Skywatch Friday...

Please visit the other participants of Skywatch Friday...

Sunset...

Sunset over the Sherwin Mountains...

It's hard to think of more to say...

Every day is different...beautiful in it's own way...

"X" is for...a day late and a dollar short???

Ooops!!!  I just realized today is Wednesday...and no post for ABC Wednesday!!!

I could just skip it...after all, today is "X"

But I am not one to back down from a challenge!!!

Now, quite a few participants picked XMas...understandable, given the proximity to the Christmas holiday...One participant picked Xanthin (yellow pigment) and various derivations...very inventive, I thought!!!

But what do I pick???  It's not like there's a lot to choose from...

Having recently moved to the mountains and being in the midst of a snowstorm, I doubt that Xenia would apply as that refers to the effect of pollen on certain plant structures...nor would Xenogamy work  which is the transfer of pollen from one plant to another...

Nope, those won't work...not much pollen these days...

Now...I've found one that has definitely applied the past few days...Xenon...a gaseous element!!!

Now, don't jump to conclusions!!!  I'm referring to Miss Daisy!!!

Yep...she's singlehandedly cleared the room on several occasions this past holiday...

Happy X-Day!!!

Hope your Xmas was a happy one!!!

Be sure and check out other participants in ABC Wednesday!!!

Majestic Pines...

"Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world."  

                                                                                                     John Muir

Welcome to our new world...

Another Day in Paradise!!!

Ohhhmmmm!!!

I think the Ohm's and peaceful photos are working...

It's not so chaotic here after all!!!

Ohhhmm!!!

Teenagers???  Just younger people...with lot's of energy!!!

Ohhhmmmm!!!

Tranquility amidst the chaos of the week after Christmas!!!

This week is the busiest week of the year here in Mammoth...

Ohmmm!!!!  

Somewhere under all that snow...

is a cabin!!!

One of the rustic cabins at Tamarack Lodge...

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White, click here!!!

A Holiday Tribute...

In honor of all soldiers away from home this holiday season...

Silent Night - A Holiday Tribute

It Really is the Night Before Christmas!!!

And MAGIC is in the air!!!

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,

everything is softer and more beautiful."

                                                                                   Norman Vincent Peale

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

                                                                                   Clement Clark Moore

**Be sure to check back to yesterdays post as I put up an additional post with pics of all our snow!!!

The Most Snow in North America

Yep!!!  According to Mammoth Mountain, and several news sources, the Eastern Sierras accumulated the most snow in North America during the last storm...

Well far be it from me to neglect this story!!!

Keep in mind, the snow has already settled about a foot or two...

Up to the second story!!!

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

In the hopes that St. Nicklaus soon would be there..."

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

or if you prefer...

'Twas the Night Before a Non-Denominational Winter Holiday

It Certainly is a White Christmas!!!

It's "W" for ABC Wednesday!

"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance-

each beautiful, unique and too soon gone."

                                                                                                     Deborah Whipp

My very favorite Christmas Carol is the Irving Berlin song, White Christmas...

especially as sung by Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds in The Holiday Inn! 

To view more entries for the ABC Wednesday meme, click here.

And yes, Mr. Earl, that's the deck!! About 1 foot short of the height of the storm at 6 feet deep!!!)

It

Santa's Coming to Town!!!

"You'd better not pout, you'd better not cry, 

I'm tellin' you why...

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!"



Uh Oh!!! I'd better stop fretting about the weather up here!!!
After all, Santa's got a sleigh!!!

It's not the deck Mr. E...it's the steps up to the front door!!!

Miss Daisy is enjoying a delightful rebound...she's feeling much better and is walking on her own again, practically skipping in the snow!!!

It's a MAMMOTH Winter!!!

Dan read on the internet that Mammoth Mountain has the most snow in North America today!!!  

Yep!!!

(posted on Facebook by the good folks of Mammoth Mountain)

This was yesterday!!!  Need I say that it snowed all night last night?  Today, Tom and the girls were planning on leaving in the early morning...

A lot of shoveling, and two police cars helping to pull him out of the driveway, and they were on their way!!!   They did stop for breakfast with us at our new version of Montrose's City Hall diner.  Did I mention that we got right out?!!!  

(In all fairness, the fine fellows from MMLPD did help direct the Hubman aka the Chief through the big berm at the bottom of the driveway!)

(BTW is it police protocol to giggle and laugh while assisting Mammoth's citizens? er Chief?...Ho,ho,ho!!!)

It's Been Snowing Again!!!

The Weekend in Black and White

"There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow.

It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance."

                                                                                                                 William Sharp

To visit other participants in the Weekend in Black and White meme, click here...

It was a tough day snow boarding....

Our Grandaughter's BFF...after a long day of snowboarding and fun...

Evensong...

       

"If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman,

I shall feel that I have worked with God."

                                                                                                   Gilbert K. Chesterton 

Yet another gorgeous sunset seen from our deck...

Please follow the link to Skywatch Friday to visit the sites of other participants.

The Roads in God's Country are Paved in....

SNOW!!!

Yep!!!  Those Voluminous Vehicles with huge chains and wheels sure do a darned good job keeping our streets clear!!!

(I think I'm stuck in a "V" Vortex from yesterday!!!)

In Veritas...it's ABC Wednesday!!!

Yes, truth be told, it is "V" day for ABC Wednesday...

On a day like today, I am Very, Very glad to have these quite Voluminous machines out and about in our Village.  I suppose, if you've had your car buried by one some white and cold morning, you might be tempted to Vilify the driver of these Vehicles.  However, Verily I say unto you, let it go!!!  Your Version may not be the only Version...perhaps the Vehicle came into a Vortex that wouldn't let go...or...perhaps the local Vintner  was driving said Vehicle...

Whatever the case, it is not wise to get Volatilely Verbal with the driver of one of these Vehicles as your Vehicle might end up being fertilizer for the Verdant fields of spring!!!

May your day today be filled with Verve!!!

For more interpretations of the letter V...Visit here!!!

Viva la "V" Day!!!

Quick!!! I've got to find my camera!!!

Sunset over the Village...

I started to grab my camera to go get a shot of what was starting to be a really nice sunset...then I realized that Miss Daisy really needed to go out...I dropped the camera, got Daisy, helped her downstairs, and took her out...
The Chief and Father Mike were driving up the street..."Quick!!!  Can you take Miss Daisy???  I've got to get my camera!!!"
I missed the part that prompted my first desire to grab the camera...but OH!!!
I think it was worth it!!!

Road Trip!!!

The Hubman and I took a little road trip to Reno today...it was a tough sell, but I finally convinced him to pull off the side of the road (he picked the Mono Lake vista point at Carson Summit)

for a few photos...

I suspect that with the amount of salt in the water it stays much warmer than a freshwater lake...thus the fog covering the entire lake...but then, that's just my guess!!!

You never know when you might need a bite to eat...

Weekend Reflections

Bodie Hotel, Bodie State Historical Park

Isn't it nice to know that if you wake up hungry in the wee small hours of the morning, you can still get a bite to eat???

Might be a bit dusty here though...

To see more reflections, click here...

Tamarack Lodge Resort

The Weekend in Black and White...

This is the Tamarack Lodge main building.  The Lodge was originally built in 1924, overlooking the Twin Lakes, and offers cabins of "rustic simplicity to deluxe accommodations".   Tamarack Lodge is the hub of Cross Country skiing up here and a great fishing spot during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.  It's also the location of one of our favorite restaurants in Mammoth!  We had dinner there last night!!!

Click on this link to visit more participants in the Weekend in Black and White.

Skywatch Friday!!!

Do you remember my shot of the Sherwin mountains from the late summer early fall???  This is the view getting off  Highway 395 going south from June Lake...I actually stopped on the off ramp to take the pics!!!  I am entranced by how different the mountains can look...I drive up from Bishop and can hardly keep my eyes on the road...the shadows change on a daily basis...the textures of the mountains, the snow...

Don't you just love the snow swirls???

To view more photos for skywatch Friday, link here!!!

But do you have MY size???

They don't LOOK that much different than they did 20 years ago...

I'm thinking, next week!!!

Ugh!!! What's an Uprooted Urbanite to do with the letter "U"???

ABC Weekend

Yep..it's the letter "U"!!!

The upshot of it all is that it is not Uncommon for recent Uplanders who have Unplugged from their roots down south to take up the Unique or Uncommon sport of Cross Country skiing...

Far be it from me to be the Unruly newcomer who doesn't brave an occasional Upheaval in the snow while learning this Uncommon sport!!!  All I need is a pair of Ultra Rossignol's!!!

Ugh!!!  Boy am I glad it's another 365 days before the letter "U" comes up again!!!

Yesterday I did go to the Tamarack Lodge to scope out the how to's of learning to cross country ski...and am definitely looking forward to learning how to Unplug in this Uncommon way!!!

  

Frosty's Girlfriend...

I know...she looks a bit frazzled...she was fresher yesterday when I didn't have my camera.

But then what can you expect when you live in the forest at the side of the road and a darned snow fall comes around and drops 4 inches of snow on you???

It's a New Generation!!!

Frosty the Snowman with his new punk haircut!!!

Thanks to the Hubman for spotting him!!!

Scrooge's Dream...

We attended the Mammoth Lakes Foundation dinner last night...an organization originally founded by Dave and Roma McCoy to support the Cerro Coso College.   

Our evening included attending the third viewing of the community theater's production of 

Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol.

Scrooge just after Marley's visitation...

Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig's Christmas party during Scrooge's Christmas Past visitation...

The Spirit of Christmas Present...

Part of the fun of small town community theater is sitting in the audience and recognizing the cast members!  Now, we've only been in town for 5 months, and we already were recognizing quite a number....several Rotarians (including the Spirit of Christmas Present), the guy who fixed our thermostat, our neighbor and local realtor, one of the post office women...

What was most astounding about this evening though...was finding out that this was the Hubman's very first time seeing A Christmas Carol!!!

Now, on many occasions, I've taken the granddaughters, my step-daughter and our daughter-in-law all to see this at the Glendale Center Theater, which is always an outstanding production...and never once did he mention that he had never seen this play...

I am remiss in my duties as the Chieftess in that I did not know this...I swear a solemn oath to pay more attention to the Hubman's cultural exposure in the future!!!

(Somehow...I just don't think he's as concerned as I am!)

Light Refractions...

Do light refractions count as Reflections???

 The Mammoth Lakes Town Tree lighting celebration!!!

Check out more Reflections photos at Newtown Area Photo...

Skywatch Friday!!!

Skywatch Friday

One of the perks of living in God's country is the gorgeous clouds that frequent the sky...

Check out other participants in Skywatch Friday here...

Thanksgiving Exercise...

Is it my imagination or is their a halo around the Hubman and Tim???

A little Thanksgiving exercise...

Taking Time to find new Treasures...

Anyone who has had a Coke, knows that finding an actual Coca Cola bottling company is a 

Timeless Treasure!!! 

Theme day for the City Daily Photo is Time...

ABC Wednesday is the letter "T"

Mammoth Homes #2

Beautiful home...gorgeous view!!!

Learning to Navigate in the Snow...

Sadie reminds me a little of me...

Snow is a new experience...

Getting around in it kind of depends on how deep it is...

Sometimes we're overly cautious....

Sometimes we just have to go for it...

And sometimes, it's just smarter to stay inside and hang out (like Cleo)!