MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We had a merry but definitely NOT WHITE Christmas!  The ski area and snow play area are brown and not open for business, a big bad news for our area actually for the entire Sierras.  The number of calls that I have had asking "How much snow do you have?"  WELL, last year we had FEET of the white stuff and the ski area opened on Thanksgiving weekend!  So I have to ask the caller, "How much RAIN have you had?"  I hate to embarrass them, but there is a bit of "cause and effect" involved in putting SNOW on the mountains.  A few of the ski areas are open with man-made snow, but it is a bit like skiing on a carpet down the middle of the run.  Our area has TWO watersheds which it straddles so taking water from one and making snow that will melt and go into the other is never going to be approved by the powers that be!

Our guests at The Rivers Resort are resorting to their favorite summer and fall activities with the addition of the ice skating just down the road at Long Barn.  I doubt that they are sun-bathing on the beach at Pinecrest, but I did see a couple of youngsters with fishing poles in hand ready to give the fish a run for their dinner!

May the weather change SOON so we get some skiers in January, but even with a name like WEATHERS I have no control over the weather, don't know anyone who even claims to!!  May the NEW YEAR be awesome for you and yours and do call and schedule a stay at THE RIVERS RESORT in lovely Strawberry CA, population 164, elevation 5,280 feet - the Mile High HAMLET!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

All that we need is some snow to make the season MERRY!  The rum balls are made, the cards in the mail, the presents still to be wrapped but not bad for the 10th of the month of December!!  The tree is table-sized and artificial, but the lights stay on every year with no work or replacing bulbs, and no needles to vacuum up from the carpets!  

The choir sounds pretty good and with some "angelic help" we should do OK next Sunday - December 18th at 10:30 at the Sonora United Methodist Church.  Our Christmas party is tomorrow - the 11th seems a bit early - but it is always a kick to see who gets the spoof gift of the year and gets "stuck with it!" and who has that AWESOME gift stolen away.  Stealing at a church function?  What's with that?  One year Pastor tom opened a stuffed cloth FISH with lures and dry flies in its mouth.  He hasn't fished for several years now, but at one time he tied his own flies!  Didn't Jesus say, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!"?

We are praying for snow.  After the heaviest snow fall year in decades last year, we have none at this point.  Dodge Ridge Ski Area opened for Thanksgiving last year and Halloween the year before!  If you know how to do a SNOW DANCE, please be my guest and send photos.  I will post them!!

It is DECEMBER?!

The lovely Indian Summer is getting "old" - the winds last week blew ALMOST all the leaves from the trees, as well as quite a few branches, whole trees, and anything that wasn't tied down or put away!!  The water system for the county took a hit when a large flume was destroyed by falling trees - so the conserve water sign is flashing!!  I do hope that they are able to repair/replace the flume quickly, like before the skiiers arrive just before Christmas!! 

Several homes and ONE dentist's office also interacted with falling timber.  The employees of the dentist's office had just stepped away from the patient as the tree dropped through the roof just a few feet away from the startled young lady in the chair!!  All escaped without a scratch and now believe in Guardian Angels!!  I am praying for Guardian Angels helping the PG&E crews trying to restore POWER, some of the trees were 3-4 feet in diameter and fell right into the power poles, blocking roads and making us all thankful for the lack of injuries!!

I washed my car this morning hoping it would trigger some wet weather, it usually works!  The last time the vacuumer "found" the ring of keys that I had been looking for going on two weeks.  AND I HAD LOOKED UNDER THE SEATS!!  Nothing was lost this time, so nothing was found, but the Forester looks pretty and shiney until the next drive down a gravel road!

I am still busy writing the annual Christmas Cards to folks that I don't have email or Facebook for.  Being "as old as dirt"  I still do have lots of those folks and some only hear from me at Christmas.  When we received the annual "book" from a penpal in Australia I knew it must be going on Christmas time!   She writes awesome prose about all their trips, family members, workmates, and home projects.  She also hand crafts the annual CARD!  This year it was one with folded papers inserted into the space she had cut in the card stock.  It is nice to know there are OTHER hyper-active people in this world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL  and to all a good-night!