July Already?

Resident bison herd on Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park

I should probably always end the title of my posts with "already?".  My last post was about winter 2013, and we are well into summer,  already booking into winter 2014!  Our guests have traveled from Arizona, Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia so they are completely happy with the 80 degree days and cool 50 degree evenings. I hear a chuckle when I mention how hot it is!  The wildflowers are amazing, the rivers are running fast, and the wildlife have been kind enough to show themselves on drives through the valley.

We have both return and new guests this summer.  We met a few new pets this year, including a very friendly conure! We have had 3 guests that are here for extended stays, visiting their children, yet wanting their own space.  It has worked out perfectly.

Full velvet deer, grazing on the side of the road, Grand Teton National Park

 It is so nice to share the valley with people from all over the world.  My aunt and her friend recently visited.  We went on an amazing wildlife drive through Grand Teton National Park.  We saw deer, bison, moose and a beaver! (and no elk, we had to wait for Yellowstone for that, who would have thought!!)  The next day, we had a wonderful trip to Yellowstone.  We stopped at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone and saw rescued bears and wolves before heading in to the park.  I love the west entrance to Yellowstone.  Following the river to the Madison Campground is unbelievable!

Beaver on Moose Wilson Road, Grand Teton National Park

March already?

Winter has flown by... and it has been an interesting one weather-wise.  January was FREEZING, which in hindsight was a good thing since it kept the snow from melting away.  We just had a good few days of storms.  I think the skiing is going to be just fine this spring.

One of the benefits of a low snow year around town is the ability to witness wildlife at work. I was walking the dogs the other day and came across the "tracks" of an owl hunting for dinner.  The field was barren of any animal activity except for 2 holes that looked something like this:

Owl activity in the snow

We began to receive calls for summer rentals a couple of weeks ago.  I was so happy to hear from our return renters.  Frenchie and Jackson are both bringing their parents back! (ha!!)  That, combined with the fantastic tenants we had this winter, have made this year wonderful.

Fall into Winter

bald eagle in tree, off in the distance

Winter is arriving slowly.  Some days the temperatures are cold, some days warm.  Snow King and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are busy making snow, supplementing Mother Nature. As my 9 year old recently said, "Mom, Mother Nature should really work on the lower mountain, oh and she could work on Snow King too!" 

What is new around the valley this winter?  We look forward to checking out the new high speed quad chair that has replaced the Casper lift out at the Jackson Hole Ski Area.  I imagine this will make the ride up the mid-mountain area a bit quicker.  Not sure how easy it will be to get to the lift, we will see.

Our apartments are full this winter.  We are thankful for our tenants and look forward to sharing our space as the snow starts to fill up the yard.

New Paint, New Doors, Big Smiles

We love our new doors!  A nice coat of paint and some vibrant colors make such a difference.    Kilmain Painting arrived with 3 guys, two days later the entire building was done!

-- Before --

-- After --

2 bedroom

1 bedroom

1 bedroom

Summer Visitors

One of our favorite tenants, Gaylia is back this summer in all her glory!  She is one of the many not-so-hidden treasures that enjoy our valley each summer.  She is not content to sit on the couch reading her book though.  Between waking up early and hiking the "king" (more info on this can be found at the Snow King site), heading north to the  Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center to volunteer 2 days a week, and entertaining guests, she somehow manages to hang with our bunnies, bake cookies for the kids and generally bring joy and love to our lives.

She had an amazing couple of weeks hiking recently and shared her photos with us.

very cute black bear (where is mom?) they didn't stick around to find out!

glorious fireweed -- where you may ask?

if you buy Gaylia a treat, she may share her slice of paradise!

Hello!!

Welcoming Committee

Annabel and Grant welcome Alexis and Claire

Summer is here!  It has been very nice overall.  I have the garden planted, the yard is greening up and the trees are happy to be providing shade.  A very nice family arrived last week, all the way from Tennessee! Ya'll! (they don't really say that though).  Annabel and Grant are enjoying their company.  Tomi surfaces, checks in, and then disappears again, the life of a teenager.

We are so happy to share our slice of heaven, and in return we enjoy the company of some very special people.

Charlie Brown sweater

Charlie Brown sweater at Center for the Arts

The Charlie Brown Sweater has returned!  Artist Suzanne Morlock knit this amazing work of art.  It was on tour and now it is back!  This is a great distraction from the very inclement Memorial Day weekend we are having!