Beautiful Winter in Alaska

The view from my window is always stunning, whether it's the thickly greened carpeting of summer or the gentle frozen covering of snow.  Mid-November finds us waking up to temperatures of 0 degrees F, scraping ice off of vehicles, and donning warm winter coats and hats before heading outside.   

Those who vacation in Alaska in the winter are sure to get an unforgettable experience.  This rugged land offers us much in the way of either winter sports, outdoors activities or snuggling up for some warm and cozy evenings by the fire.

The Snow is Here, the Snow is Here!

The snow is here, and the Diamond M Ranch family didn't waste a minute. 

The beautiful white stuff is covering the ground and we LOVE it! 

Alaska in November and Romantic Winter Getaway Plans!

It's an odd way to start November, this rare snowless week.  Albeit, we did get some snow yesterday, a light flurry that came down in the night and spent most of the next day melting quietly away.

Snow or not, winter is upon us here in the beautiful state of Alaska.  For us, that often means time for lighting candles, putting an extra log in the fireplace, and heading to bed just a little earlier in keeping with the earlier descent of the sun.

Place Setting at our Bed & Breakfast

Here at the Diamond M Ranch Resort, most of our rooms are booked for the winter season, though the romantic Greentree Suite remains available for those wanting a relationship-building sumptuous winter getaway.   Whether you take advantage of a get-away or decide to stay at home, the colder months of this season can provide the perfect opportunity for nestling close and remembering the things that brought you together.

Winter reminds us to remember our blessings, delight in the closeness of loved ones, and to look with hope at things that may look dormant now, but will soon be blossoming once again.

Details about the Greentree Suite can be found here.  Mention this blog post for 15% off a one-night stay, or 20% off your winter stay of 2 or more days when you book!  Ask about our "romantic dinner and wine" add-on options!  Offer good through April of 2010. 

October in Alaska

Each morning, the air steadily increases the "bite," a crisp edge that promises snow, just around the corner.  Everyone in Alaska is "winterizing," gathering up hoses, putting up bicycles and motercycles, making sure vehicles have tires that can handle ice, etc.  Most of the time, there's a good foot of snow on the ground by the end of the month, and because of that, we don't find it odd that trick-or-treaters go from door to door with costumes underneath warm winter coats or snowsuits! 

The frost each morning is a beautiful sight, as are the glowing stars in the wide expanse of the sky.  Losing our long summer daylight, each evening the sun sets earlier and earlier and comes up later each morning.  The migratory birds are all gone, off to the next stage in their yearly traveling adventures.  Moose are busy fattening up on the open grasses, soon to be covered up with snow, six of them out in the harvested hay field the other day, thoroughly enjoying themselves. 

Winter is coming, as it does every year, weaving the changes so naturally in the beautiful tapestry that makes up life on our planet. 

So Much To Do on the Kenai Peninsula! (Work Camper Adventures at the Diamond M Ranch Resort)

Helping to run the Diamond M Ranch Resort campground is not a job for the faint of heart. Somewhat similar to juggling plates, a good work camper has to be able to multi-task. Here at the Diamond M Ranch, that means the ability to go on dog sled rides with Ididaride Sled Dog Tours...

 

Raft glacier-fed rivers with the Alaska Rivers Company...

Haul in a big catch with Chihuly Charters...

Or go flying with High Adventure Air (awesome!), and even enjoy a glacier cruise with Major Marine Tours, and so much more!

A big thank you to all of the above companies, for offering our work campers these opportunities to experience Alaska. As they say, the best advertisement is a happy customer, and our work campers certainly had a ball with all of you!

We have the most amazing Work Campers, year after year, and words can't express how much we appreciate them. Each one always has a unique skill, whether it's in answering phones, organizing office areas, helping with new construction, landscaping and gardening, building fences, working security, helping with ranch animals, having a friendly smile to greet guests, hosting fish fry socials---and even making beautiful signs* placed all around the resort, named after each one of our family members!

Summer at the Diamond M Ranch Resort flies by quickly, always so much going on---so many things to see and do, as well as so many wonderful guests to help have a wonderful stay. We appreciate our Work Campers so much. Their energy, smiles, and helping hands truly enable us take our business to the next level!

*Thank you, Jim Diggs, for the beautiful signs and for the great pictures above that you shared with us!

Mount Redoubt: Musings on Alaskan Mountains

Depending on the clouds and whatever other mysterious things are involved in making mountains appear and disappear, sometimes Mount Redoubt looms over us here at the Ranch, and yet, every once in a while, you'd never know there was a mountain  here at all. 

Our guests, Ellen and Bill McEwen, snapped this shot of the mountain from our viewing deck here at the Ranch.  Obviously, it was one of those moments where Redoubt was standing, strong and tall, in plain sight for all to see.  Breath-taking. 

Mountains, much like a sky full of stars at night, are good for reflection.  All the little soap operas in our lives, things that often take up so much of our energy, seem to be put in their place when we step back and take in the vastness of nature.  Like falling leaves, the wind of awareness comes in and blows away the petty issues that we were allowing to rob us of our vitality and precious time, allowing us to concentrate on the things that are worth it. 

The towering mountain reminds us of the temporary nature of our days, and as we breathe that in, we remember that very few things really matter.  People matter.  How we spend our time matters.  Who we spend our time with matters.  Learning, growing, developing into who we truly are---that matters.  Most of the other stuff, loud and pesky stuff that can often occupy so much of our energies, doesn't really matter at all... 

Mount Redoubt is good for that, calling us to go inward and reflect on the priorities we have and changes that, perhaps, it's time for us to make.  Seasonally covered in snow or verdant greenery, the mountain stands firm, mysterious, and alive, a treasured part of this Alaskan landscape. 

New Website for Diamond M Ranch Resort!

Party!  Celebration!  Fireworks! 

Nate Estaban of HyperSolutions has given our business website a complete overhaul, and the results are just delightful!  Great job, Nate!  We think this will help us serve our customers even better than before, and we couldn't be more thrilled!