Our Beloved Dot

Last Thursday evening my family's dog, Dot, passed away. She had not been feeling well for the past couple weeks and then suddenly on the night of March 5th, she became very ill. Mom and Dad took her to the emergency animal hospital and they discovered she had a cancerous tumor the size of a football in her abdomen. The tumor was bleeding out...and Dot was dying. They had to put her down. Dot was 11 years old and had been a part of our family since she was a puppy. She was the second addition to the family after Syd who is 15 years old. Dot was so very sweet, modest, loving, and protective. She let Syd be "top dog" and rule the house. She was the spry, younger dog who we didn't imagine would be the first to go. This is something we didn't see coming and for my Mom and Dad...they have lost a best friend. The dogs are such a part of their lives and getting use to things without Dot around are very hard for them. Dot will be missed greatly by our entire family. We loved her dearly. The video below is something my Mom put together to honor our sweet Dot.

Rescued Koala Bear

My Mom shared this article and picture with me so I thought I would share it as well. It is a precious story amidst all of the tragedy occurring in Australia right now.

Koala Rescued From Australia Wildfires
By ROHAN SULLIVAN, AP

SYDNEY (Feb. 10) - It was a chance encounter in the charred landscape of Australia's deadly wildfires: A koala sips water from a bottle offered by a firefighter. David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. Clearly in pain, the animal stopped when it saw Tree.

"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.

Firefighter David Trees shares his water with a female koala whose habitat was scorched by raging wildfires in Australia on Monday.

"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."

The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.

"I love nature, and I've handled koalas before. They're not the friendliest things, but I wanted to help him," Tree said.

Often mistakenly called koala bears because they resemble a child's teddy bear, the marsupial is actually a rather grumpy creature with a loud growl and sharp claws. It rarely comes down from the trees and doesn't like walking.

Koalas are especially vulnerable to wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.

The wildfires cut through parks and forests and sent countless wombats and other native species fleeing. One resident reported seeing kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their backs.

5-5-5

So I was tagged by my friend Michele in this epidemic in the blogger world called a "meme". Once tagged, you are supposed to explain the 5th picture in your 5th folder in your pictures and then tag 5 people to do the same. It is pretty fun to see every ones pictures. See below for my 5th picture in my 5th folder. Enjoy :)

So this picture is of my niece Ella at the 2007 Buddy Walk wearing the shirt I designed for Travis' team :) The Buddy Walk is hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta and helps raise money and awareness. This was the 6th consecutive year our family has attended and they were there again this past year. I love this picture this day :)

So, now I tag Jenny, Jamie, Tori, and Gilly. I think these are the only people left of my blogger buddies who haven't been tagged. Or if they have been tagged, they haven't posted. So here ya go...your turn!

I hope everyone is happy and well! Love and miss you bunches and bunches.

Bluebird Day

This past Monday, Jay, his friend Andy (visiting from Chicago), and I went skiing. It was another Bluebird Day in Jackson and a great opportunity to take the Tram up for stunning views of the valley. See below for a couple pictures :)

Jay and I at the top of the Tram with a beautiful view of the valley below. These pictures were taken with my phone so they are not stellar but they give a good idea of the amazing scenery.

Andy and Jay and the top of the Tram with a nice view of the Grand Teton in the back ground.

The funny part of the story is this picture. I took this with my phone and sent the picture to my Mom with the text: "Skiing another Bluebird Day...thinking about you and miss you bunches. Love, Rachael" Well, my Mom thought I was literally talking about a Blue Bird and she was looking so hard in the picture for an actual Blue Bird. The definition of a Bluebird Day is: A beautiful sunny day after an overnight snowfall. It's a perfect skiing day with a clear blue sky, bright sun, and fresh snow. So she had to call me to figure out what the heck I was talking about. Needless to say, she knows the definition now :) And then on top of that, she was worried that I was by myself (hence my shadow on the snow) and she didn't like that. But I was only on an access lift (which I took from right outside my front door) to meet Jay and Andy. This conversation really made me smile so I thought I would share it with you. I thought it was pretty funny and really cute :)

I hope all is well with everyone! LOVE and MISS you BUNCHES!

Megan and Jennifer's Visit

Megan and Jennifer came to visit right after Christmas and into the New Year! It was so fun having them back like old times...skiing, hanging out, dinners, and happy hour :) I miss having these girls around all the time...they are so much fun and always up for anything. They were mach 10 the entire time they were here...going and doing and going and doing as much as they could. Below are some pictures from their time here...ENJOY :)


Tori, Jennifer, me, and Megan at the top of Thunder...the wind was wicked up there and brrr cold but it was great getting out with the girls.

Tori, Megan, me, and Jennifer at the top of Sublet. It was a blue bird day...we don't get many of those around here so it was so nice to be able to see the beautiful mountains that surround us everyday!

Being silly on the Sublet chair lift :)

Jennifer, me, Jenny, and Megan at The Wort for Blue Grass Tuesday and the Miller Sister Band! SO much fun :)

At the Cowboy Bar for their first night in town. Lots of shots and dancing occurred this evening...we had a blast!!!

Being silly :)

Megan, Jenny, me, and Jennifer pre Jagger bomb!

That is all for now. A side note...my parent's are coming out at the end of February and my sister's are coming out the first weekend in March...I couldn't be HAPPIER :)

LOVE YOU GUYS!!! XOXO

A Lighter Note

This post is a little late but here are some pictures from New Year's Eve. We had a wonderful time at the Mangy Moose and brought in the New Year of 2009 with lots of good friends, cheer, and booze :) Hope all is well with everyone! Enjoy the pictures :)


Jay and I before heading out


Being silly :)

The infamous New Year's Hat! Nice look Megan!

And the so fashionable 2009 glasses :)

Happy New Year everyone! LOVE and MISS you bunches. XOXO :)

Careful what you wish for...

So after my last post you would think all of this snow is a good thing...well not so much. We have seen record snow fall in a very short amount of time. Over 5 feet in less than a week. All of this snow fell on a very weak base layer which is recipe for disaster. Since Saturday the 27th, we have had 2 in-bounds slides (this means 2 avalanches within our resort boundaries). This is extremely rare but with the conditions the way they have been...it was only time before we would see something like this occur. I am very sad to report that on Saturday, December 27th, a man was killed in an in-bounds avalanche. He was a local from Wilson, WY and skied the resort frequently. We are saddened greatly by this loss and our ski patrol is doing everything in their power to prevent something like this from happening again. Unfortunately when you are fighting Mother Nature...she is going to win. We have some of the best ski patrollers working our mountain and they risk their lives every day so that we can ski safely. But with these conditions...it is very difficult to make skiing 100% safe...no matter what you do. Yesterday December 29th, we had another slide. The Headwall slid and ran into the Bridger Restaurant at the top of the Gondola lift. There are 3 restaurants and 1 store in this building. Fortunately no one was hurt...which is a miracle...and there was no structural damage to the building...just busted out windows and scattered tables and chairs all over. This part of the mountain wasn't open yet so there were minimal amounts of people up there. Below are 2 links to articles about these 2 incidents.

http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4064

http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4070

The incidents have been quite devastating to our company, my co-workers, our guests, and my friends. We are all trying to be as positive as possible and looking forward and not to the past. There is no blame to be placed for these incidents. We are all very thankful for the people working to make our mountain safe and we look forward to getting back on the hill as soon as possible. I just wanted to provide you all with an update to the events happening here in Jackson. Please keep the families and friends affected by these events in your prayers. Thank you for all of your support and comments. I love and miss you all bunches and bunches.

XOXO :)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Merry Christmas! I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and I hope all of your wishes come true this holiday season! For me here in Jackson, Christmas isn't quite the same as home but I am so fortunate and blessed to have the friends here who are like my family to make Christmas so wonderful. I miss home terribly this time of year and I miss all of the precious comforts home provides.

The past couple of weeks, everyone here in Jackson has been praying for snow. The season started off a little scary with not much snow. With the new Tram and with the state of the economy, snow is our only chance at survival being that it is the main reason people travel to Jackson in the winter. Well it looks like our prayers have been answered and the snow has come and is still "dumping"! Last night we received 18" of new snow and since 6:00 a.m. it has probably snowed another 8"...and it is still dumping! Unfortunately I am at work instead of out skiing but I am hopefully going to get a break at lunch to go take a few turns on the hill.

So...LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW! Here are some pictures I took with my phone this morning of the snow covered village. ENJOY :)

The view out the front door of our main office in the village.

The mountain is back there somewhere but is covered by all of the snow!

This is just outside my office in the village...Lucy is the one in the middle...she was a champ this morning getting me to work. I cruised right past a van stuck in the snow and she kept trekking along with just a few squirrely moments ;)

This is my place! I have the upstaires unit. Finally a picture for you all to see...there will be more of the inside to come later :)

The view from my driveway. This is looking toward the mountain but you can't see it because of all of the snow falling!

Standing in my driveway looking toward the mountain.

Jay and my neighbor's trucks.

My other neighbors SUV...crazy amounts of snow!

I miss and love you all bunches and bunches! Merry Christmas XOXO :)

2 years and $31 million later...THE Tram is HERE!

So, I am starting the beginning of my second winter here in Jackson. After an amazing summer, I am ready for tons and tons of skiing and apres' ski! Unfortunately, last winter I didn't get to experience the legendary Tram. In 2006 they decided after 40 years of service to deconstruct the Tram and replace it with a new and improved Tram. The old Tram carried 50 people per car (there are only 2 cars) and the new Tram carries 100 people per car. 2 years and $31 million later...we have the new Tram which is the largest and longest non-stop lift in North America. It travels from the base of the mountain to the very top of the mountain; traveling over 4,000 vertical feet in 9 minutes. Many people here have experienced years of the Tram and hearing their stories is magical and chilling. To be part of the new Tram is something I am so happy and proud to experience. This is something that will not happen again in our lifetime! We have some of the best skiing in the world and now we have the best Tram in the world! I am looking forward to a very exciting ski season full the 'pow'! The excerpt below gives a little insight to what the Tram was all about years ago...so you can only imagine how it will be now!

Excerpt from Jackson Hole: On a Grand Scale
by David Gonzales
The phone’s keypad glows in the dark as I dial the number for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s morning snow report. “Six inches of new snow in the past twenty-four hours,” says the recording. Outside the window, fresh pillows of snow crown fence posts and shrubs. Waves of flakes halo the streetlights. The sky wears the slightest tinge of blue. The report, taken from an automatic gauge high on Rendezvous Mountain, has been stingy all season. Instead of six inches, there could be eight. Or ten. Sleeping any longer is out of the question.

On the road to Teton Village, I pass a herd of horses moving across a pasture in the predawn gloom. They plod in single file, their backs dusted white.

At 7:15 AM, one hour and forty-five minutes before the resort opens, the tram maze at the village already sprouts a thicket of skis and poles. The protocol: If you arrive early – by seven – you can leave your skis in line while you buy a breakfast burrito or warm up in Nick Wilson’s restaurant. Don’t return to your spot much later than eight, however, or you might find your skis tossed over the rail into the snow thirty feet below.

But if you’re unwilling to stake out a place in line, you’re missing the point. Arriving early enough for the “first box” is as much about the buzz as it is about the snow. First box doesn’t necessarily mean first tracks. After all, the ski area opens to the public only after several tram-loads of patrollers, guides, instructors, clients, photographers, models, and a few smooth talkers have already unloaded atop the mountain. But it does mean fresh tracks, as well as a fresh chance to bond with others in line who share your disease.

Call it Rendezvous fever. It’s marked by insomnia (many in the tram line woke before their alarm clocks rang), numbness (the body’s natural defense when standing in the frigid tram dock for two or more hours) and restlessness (only on a powder day does 9 AM seem like a long time in coming).

The disease is particularly virulent among young Jacksonites, but its range is far wider. First in line this morning is a group of five from California. “We live in San Diego,” one of them says. He nods to their ringleader, who perches on the barricade closest to the turnstile. “Actually, he lives in Jackson; he just visits San Diego 360 days a year.”

The ringleader grins and shrugs. He woke his companions up at 6:00 this morning to be at the tram at 6:30. “I fell in love with this place the first time I came, in 1973,” he says. On that trip, it snowed three feet one morning; he was one of only eight skiers on first box.

Times have changed. It’s 8:15, and the maze at the tram dock is completely full. Outside the maze, all the neophytes who thought they’d get first box by arriving forty-five minutes early mill about helplessly, like sheep on the wrong side of the fence, cut off from the rest of the flock. Inside the maze, rumors abound of snowfall twice as deep as what was reported. Previous powder days are relived. Plans for the day’s first run are mulled over. You can bet everybody knows exactly where they will head once they’ve unloaded at the top. But don’t bet on them telling you.

Nine AM finally arrives. “Have your passes and lift tickets ready!” Fifty-four skiers and boarders file through the turnstile and crowd into the tramcar. It leaves the dock, floating for the summit. Conversation dwindles. Everybody studies the mountain as it slips past, drinking in with their eyes what they will soon consume with their feet. Near the upper tram dock, the attendant’s radio crackles with an order from ski patrol: “You’re going to have to hold that car at the top. Don’t open the doors.”

Everybody groans. But when the tram stops, the doors fly open. A cold wind leaps into the car, and the tram dock rumbles under 108 heavy boots. Despite the patrol’s protests, the eager occupants of the first box have been unleashed onto the mountain. They clatter down the metal stairs, throw skis and snowboards onto the snow, and shove boots into bindings. A minute later, the mountain’s summit is silent again, save for the whirring of the tram’s haul cable as the car heads back down. From below, in Rendezvous Bowl, come the whoops and howls of paradise found.

Below are some pictures old and new...ENJOY!


The very first Tram car.


The new Tram car (in it's protective Marmot cover) being placed on the cables.


The beginning of the contruction for the Clock Tower over 40 years ago.

The new Clock Tower and base of the Tram.

December 19th...the unveiling of the new Tram car.

The new Tram car...it is HUGE!



December 20th...the launch of the Tram.

Box 1 leaving the base heading to the top!

What a magnificent construction full of history and adventure!!!

Dos Cafe Con Leche, Por Favor

I have been contemplating what to post for this blog entry and I just don't think there are any words or pictures that can accurately describe our trip to Spain and how wonderfully fantastic and amazing it was!

We flew in to Barcelona and stayed there for 3 days and toured around the city as much as we could and we also went on a wine tour to a local vineyard. We were lucky because it ended up being a private tour of the vineyard with lunch and wine tasting. We also had the chance to take part in the cava (champagne) making experience which was a lot of fun. We also visited the Sagrada Familia which is an amazing cathedral that is still under construction after 100 years. Needless to say, it is impressive.

We left Barcelona on a train to Girona which is just north and inland from Barcelona. We spent the day there and then took a bus to Sant Feliu which was a small coastal town where we ended up renting a car and exploring the coast north all the way up to Cadaques which was one of my favorite tiny towns we visited.

From Sant Feliu we took the bus back to Barcelona and then a train from Barcelona to Valencia City. Valencia was really beautiful and full of things to see. They have this amazing complex where there is a Science Museum, Solarium, and Aquarium. We didn't spend too much time here but the time we spent, was absolutely fantastic.

From Valencia we rented another car and headed south along the coast. This was great because our schedule wasn't dictated by bus or train schedules anymore. We could go wherever we wanted to go and stay as little or as long as we wanted. We stopped in Altea, Alicante, and landed in Totona for the night. Just a small town along the way...nothing special except for a really decent hotel for cheap. We had been staying in hostels everywhere else, so to come across this place with a king size bed, free Internet in the room, and a flat screen TV for hardly anything, we couldn't pass it up.

We woke up early the next morning and headed to San Jose which is a tiny coastal town that we feel in love with. This stop was roughly half way so we took a couple days to just relax and read our books on the beach and enjoy some R & R. San Jose provided virtually private beaches with insane views. We didn't want to leave.

After San Jose, we headed to Granada where we visited the Alhambra. Granada is beautiful and full of so much culture...like most everywhere we visited.

From Granada we headed to Seville which was probably my favorite place we visited. Her we saw the Alcazar which was even more impressive than the Alhambra (which I didn't think was even possible).

From Seville we headed North to Madrid where we spent our last 3 days. Madrid is a massive city full of things to do and see. To only have 3 days there is crazy. We decided to hit all the places we could starting with The Prado which is one of the world's most famous art museums. I was blown away by this place. We spent over 3 hours here and that is a quick tour of the place. The pieces in this museum are incredible. We also visited the Royal Palace which has over 2,000 rooms which we only visited 20 of...and the 20 we saw blew us away with their elegance and detail!

That is a very brief summary of our 18 day trip. I could right forever if I gave all the details. We really enjoyed our time in Spain and are so fortunate we had the opportunity to go and spend the amount of time we did there. There were many firsts for me on this trip...my first time in a hostel, my first time in Spain, my first time in the Mediterranean, and the list continues. Jay is an amazing travel partner who made this trip so wonderful for me. His eagerness to see everything, his excitement to explore the unknown, his ability to speak Spanish, his patience with me, and so many other things, made this trip what it was...AMAZING!

Here is a link to some of the pictures from our trip. Enjoy :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rhtravis15/RachaelJaySTripToSpain2008?authkey=4iOXe9IYUu0#

I love and miss everyone bunches! Hope all is well with everyone :)