Category Archives: Family

Family adventures at Spring Creek Ranch

Amanda Palmer: Give and Receive Fearlessly

From crowd surfing to couch surfing to crowd sourcing, Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls and Grand Theft Orchestra speaks in the most profoundly, articulate way about the art and the responsibility of Asking.

It’s been years since I sat next to Amanda in a German Philosophy class at that very upstanding University she mentions, but it fills me with such joy to see what she has chosen to do with her life and how she has stayed so very true to the ideals and perspectives that make her who she is.

Thank you Amanda, for saying so many of the things I believe to be true in such a moving way.  And please know that you are always welcome to stay at the ranch or in my own home.  The door is always open for you as you continue your journey of giving and receiving fearlessly.

Posted by Spring Creek Ranch at 12:06 pm
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Tiny Flakes + Hot Air Balloons

Tiny flakes fall outside my window as I continue to give the same response over emails and phone calls, “Yes! There is still great skiing out there and plenty of groomed trails!”  Not to mention the Hot Air Balloon Festival this weekend.  I admit there is nothing like a brightly striped hot air balloon hanging, nearly stagnant against a bright blue sky to automatically put smiles on everyone lucky enough to glimpse it.

Rumor has it there will be some balloons launching from Spring Creek Ranch!

Urban Renewal

I’m not sure I’ll ever have a week filled with such an eclectic mix of experiences…ever?  In the course of one week, seven days I found myself at a dear friend’s birth of her third daughter, alone on endless groomed ski trails, in the Seattle Public Library, enveloped by the darkness of countless movie theaters (who says you can’t see every film nominated for Best Picture in one weekend?), in the loving company of my Sister-In-Law who lives in Italy, in search of the perfect bottle of scotch, and then having one of the most unusual dining experiences of my life.

Can we all say out loud together, “The Corson Building!”  I have never felt so welcomed, so well fed and dare I say, entertained at an eating establishment before.  Thank you, Wylie, Emily, Mark and Kyle and all the folks I met at our family style table of ten.

Oh, and then I bought a car.

Posted by Spring Creek Ranch at 8:21 pm
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This is 4

Homemade pizza, chocolate ganache cake with four candles and two dear friends (thanks for coming over Nicole and Isolde!).  Birthday perfection for a January, jumping bean and now this Mama is off to rendezvous in Seattle with one very special sister-in-law.  Because even us Spring Creekers crave some City time.

Winthrop’s Winter Wonderland

What started out as a harmless walk through town, over the Spring Creek Bridge to meet with (the loveliest) potential wedding clients– turned into, what felt like a virtual ad for the Winthrop-Winter-Wonderland.

I passed sledders, ice skaters, bikers and skiers on Spring Creek Ranch property.  Men and women ranging in age from 2 to 65, they were all moving and smiling and it was really cold out.  But, it was also beautifully sunny and that makes all the difference now doesn’t it?  I, myself could hardly keep my hands gloved and in my pockets where they were toasty warm.  Every time I looked about I just had to take a picture… until my right hand became kinda numb and so I missed out on photographing Spring Creek’s enormous weeping willow which looked like, it really looked like an ice chandelier.  The willow that graces the Ranch House yard, was encapsulated in ice, each branch was wrapped in its own sparkling icicle and with the sun pouring through it… I can only hope that the right atmospheric ingredients confluence one more time this winter so that I can try to snap a picture.  Numb fingers or not.

Wild, Winthrop, Winter, Wonderland?  Winterland…Wonderthrop…WinterWonderWinthrop?  Bare with me here, I couldn’t resist!