Unplug

Did I just suggest that?   Can we really survive by unplugging – our cell phones, our computers, our iPods and iPads? Yes we can.  Especially in a place like our Central Oregon resort Black Butte Ranch.  This is such a magnificent place to experience nature and the forest, to listen to bird songs and the sounds of the meadow.

You can’t hear the wind gracefully rippling through the Aspen if you are listening to the latest Top 10 hit on your iPod.  You won’t notice the golden twinkle of Paulina Springs as the sun makes its appearance if you are engaged on your cell phone.

Technology is wonderful; it makes our lives easier,  but it also makes our lives faster and with higher expectations.  Expectations that even though you may be away from work, you can still answer emails.  So why do you vacation?  Is it because your bodies and our minds need to unplug?  I think so. I think people love coming to beautiful Central Oregon because they do get to unplug, they get to relax and let their thoughts of work and obligations drift away on the warm summer breeze.  Here, it’s OK to take a stroll, to stop and listen, to make a small discovery. You will  discover that it’s fun to watch your kids giggle and squirm as they run through the water shooting up out of the cement at the Glaze Meadow  “splashground.”  You will  discover that sometimes being together doesn’t mean you have to make conversation.  You will discover that watching wildlife will improve your blood pressure. you will discover that you can unplug and survive.  Give it a try.

See ya ’round the Ranch!

Katie

Quilting is a Reflection of Life

When you look at the amazing quilts that the Black Butte Ranch Quilters have on display this month at the Lodge Gallery, you can see a reflection of their lives and an expression of their artistry.  It takes a tremendous amount of creativity and patience to make a quilt.  Quilts are heirlooms passed down from generation to generation; they are cherished as a pieces of family history; they represent their own unique place and time that they were made as well as representing different cultures and mores. A quilt could even  be compared to a letter from a loved one – a personal, handmade expression of love and caring.  Some quilts have been “loved” to shreds and others are carefully preserved and tucked away.

Over the centuries, quilts have told many stories.  Quilts played important roles in American History as well. They were made to raise funds for the abolitionist movement and then also during the Civil War quilts were made to earn money for the war effort and to give warmth and comfort to the soldiers. There are stories that the Underground Railroad used certain quilts as signals to help slaves  in their fight for freedom.  One  such example was the practice of using  a “log cabin” quilt hung on a clothes line to indicate that a house was a safe place for slave.  Women sometimes even put anti-slavery poems and saying on the quilts they made to sell at fairs.

In more modern times quilts were made for Aids patients by their friends and family as a way to show their support and love. Simple quilts and blankets are given to victims of tragedy to help comfort them. Quilting, which has traditionally been a women’s craft, has also seen an increase in interest by many men.

Most recently a dear friend of quilters  and founder of Peggy’s Pin Pals passed away.  As a gesture to honor their friend Peggy Click-Taylor, the

Black Butte Ranch quilters collaborated and  each made a quilt square, from which a quilt was made and presented to Al Taylor in loving memory of his wife.  The quilters always felt that Al was their “teddy bear” and appreciated the support his gave to his wife and the group.  The quilters have continued on with their craft, meeting every week to quilt, or just to talk about quilting  and dispensing a little advice along the way.

This week we celebrate the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, in it’s 35th year.  I know the BBR quilters will be busy this week attending classes and events surrounding the quilt show, and our hats go off to you and thank you for your amazing handiwork.

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie

An Icon Passes

GENE “BUNNY” MASON  1927 – 2010

Gene C. “Bunny” Mason was born in Moro, Oregon on December 15, 1927. He came from a large family with eight siblings and was always active in sports at Salem High School. In Bunny’s own words from his autobiography he said, “Once I became a professional golfer, I never looked back.”

He was hired in 1951 as the golf pro at Salem Golf Club and stayed there until October 1960 when he was invited to become the golf pro at Columbia Edgewater Country Club where he continued to teach until his passing.  Bunny’s history with Black Butte Ranch began when he was approached in August 1970 by Mike Hollern (then chairman of Brooks Resources) and Bob Harrison (then president of Brooks Resources). As Bunny states “the original plan was to build a nine-hole golf course and a large number of tennis courts.  Tennis was a big game in the 1970s.  But we worked things out in a hurry and we ended up with thirty-six holes of golf before it was done.” Bunny designed the Glaze Meadow golf course at the Ranch which will begin renovation later this year by John Fought, golf course architect.

Back in 1961 while speaking at a service club event Bunny said, “it is my pleasure to predict that the whole world will be coming to Central Oregon before I die.”  He also predicted that there would be 25 golf courses in Central Oregon before he died.  Well, he lived to see more than 30 courses built.

Bunny was also the golf course designer of Awbrey Glen, Crooked river Ranch, Eagle Crest -  Resort Course, Fairway Village, Green Mountain, Middlefield Village, Persimmon Country Club and Skamania Lodge.

Bunny, if you’re reading this, may you always get a hole-in-one and thank you for helping to create such a spectacular place to enjoy.

Katie Williams

Dan Balmer Quartet Plays “Live at the Ranch”

If you are a Portlander you have probably heard of Dan Balmer and his masterful guitar playing.  Balmer is a regular on Monday nights at Jimmy Mak’s a popular jazz club in the Pearl District and he also plays with the Mel Brown Band at Jimmy Mak’s.  If you are a college student at Lewis & Clark College you may know him as your music professor (he’s taught there for twenty years)

Balmer was recently inducted into the Jazz Society of Oregon’s Hall of Fame as it’s youngest member and first guitarist. In his concerts and recordings Balmer presents a unique blend of contemporary and traditional jazz styles, juxtaposed with influences ranging from pops to Brazilian music.

In this video you can watch Balmer, while playing with the Mel Brown Quartet, masterfully execute Tony Pacini’s “El Cid” :  Dan Balmer plays \”El Cid\”.

Balmer plays the first “Live at the Ranch” concert in the summer series on June 25 at 6pm.  It is sure to be a treat for the whole family!

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie

Woodpecker Wonderland

There are a total of eleven  nesting woodpecker species  in the Metolius Basin (which includes Black Butte Ranch and nearby Camp Sherman).  For the last several years Steve Shunk, founder of Paradise Birding, has put on the “Woodpecker Wonderland Festival”.  Unfortunately this year he is taking a hiatus, but the woodpeckers don’t know that.  They are still here.

During the 2009 Woodpecker Wonderland Festival there were 82 sightings of the various woodpecker species. Some of the more popular ones sighted are the Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker.  The rarest sightings were the Three-toed Woodpecker and the Black-backed Woodpecker.

Birding is a wonderful  family pastime and can be enjoyed by all ages.  Walk around the Ranch and you may catch a glimpse of the Hairy Woodpecker or possibly a Flicker.  A great resource for birding information and to hear the special sounds of a particular species is the website All About Birds by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Children especially love to listen to see if they can recognize the call of their favorite bird.  It’s also a fun way to get them to go for a walk through the forest or the meadow, and of course they love looking through the binoculars to see the often beautifully plumed creature.  Click here to listen to the call of the Hairy Woodpecker.

Come to the Ranch and spend a weekend, walking through the forest and listening for our lofty friends.

See Ya Around the Ranch!

Katie

Robert’s Pub Named in Honor of Muir Graves

Robert Muir Graves was the famed golf course architect that designed the beautiful Big Meadow golf course here at Black Butte Ranch (counted as

one of his best).  Muir Graves was self-educated in the craft of golf course architecture.  While he graduated from Cal Berkeley with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture he could not ignore his interest in the creative side of golf course design, thereby combining his love of both sports and design.  He spent time inspecting and studying the greatest golf courses in  England, Ireland, and Scotland.  Surprisingly enough when he first began his design business he was not a golfer.  It didn’t take long afterward to decide to learn the game.

There’s no question that Robert Muir Graves was innovative in his design of some of the best American golf courses.  The Ranch has taken the same approach when the project to revamp Big Meadow Clubhouse came about.  The interior has been redesigned with new colors, banquettes and booths.  The menu overflows with a  fresh epicurean imagination. To get things started off right why not order up a plate of Buffalo Chicken Sliders with chipotle aioli and Rogue River blue slaw. There are also  many family favorites such as Pub Mac & Cheese, Halibut Fish and Chips, and five different types of burgers.

Robert’s Pub is a great place to gather after a day of golf or a casual place to take the family for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Come and bask in the history that is reveled at Robert’s Pub.

See Ya around the Ranch!

Katie

BLack Butte Firefighters Climb Stairs for Charity

On March 7 Black Butte Ranch firefighters Dane Cook, Curtis Terry, and Richard Cearns took part in the 2010 Firefighter Stair Climb Challenge in Seattle.  They finished 97th in a field of 1,294 firefighters. The participants  climbed 1, 311 steps in Seattle’s tallest building, the Columbia Center,  while wearing 60 pounds of protective gear – including air tank and mask.

This stair climb is purportedly the largest  individual firefighter competition in the world.  Fire departments from all over the United States took part in this event along with firefighters from Germany, New Zealand and Canada.  They climb to raise funds the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Since the event’s beginning in 1992, firefighters have raised $2.7 million for the charity.

Thanks guys for making us so proud!

Meal of the Year

“An empty plate isn’t actually empty.  It’s filled with anticipation.  For it is in the right hands that a meal has the ability to evolve into an experience.”  This quote is straight from the  Central Oregon Community College (COCC)  Cascade Culinary Institute’s web page.  It is through the COCC Foundation that culinary students, as well as other students,  receive scholarships that will change their lives.  One way these students show their appreciation to the foundation, its members, and the community is to host the “Meal of the Year.”

Black Butte Ranch Executive Chef Dean Ecker, who’s also president of the High Desert Chefs Association worked with the Institute’s culinary students to prepare the meal which served 385 diners at the black-tie function. Chef Ecker is very involved in the Cascade Culinary Institute as a mentor and teacher.  He was point man in the preparation of the “Meal of the Year” and worked with 40 scholarship recipients to put the event on.  The culinary students, who received scholarships, worked the “back of the house” doing all the prep and cooking while the other scholarship recipients worked the “front of the house” serving and busing tables. Proceeds from the evening benefit the COCC Foundation scholarship programs and activities.

Congratulations to Chef Ecker and all the students for a very successful evening!

Spring is Coming Faster and Our Days Just Got Shorter (Huh?)

The official first day of spring this year is on March 20, 2010, also known as the vernal equinox.  However, scientists have also discovered that as a result of the Chilean earthquake the earth’s axis shifted and we have essentially lost 1.26 microseconds – so our days will be shorter forever. Wow!  I wonder how the 1.26 microsecond deficiency will affect the equinox (latin for “equal nights”) – I don’t think the days and nights will be equal now. Good thing we have several beloved holidays coming up to take our minds off this issue.

Spring is a time of renewal and resurgence, and what better way to celebrate than with family and friends as we cloak ourselves  in the many traditions that help us honor these holidays.  With the emergence of the seasonal “seamrog” plant (which has been anglicized to “shamrock”), it brings thoughts of  St. Patrick’s Day and the jubilant sound of  Celtic music and Irish step-dancing that Americans have adopted as a way of lifting themselves out of the dregs of winter. This year at Black Butte Ranch we will be celebrating with a special menu created by Adam Kapela – straight from his experiences in Ireland – replete with Guinness Lamb Stew and Soda Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce.

Following on the heels of St. Patrick’s Day is Easter (on April 4 – a bit earlier this year), a holiday rife with traditions all its own. For many it is an ecclesiastical celebration, and for others it is a time of egg hunts and visits from the Easter Bunny. No matter which camp you fall into we can all agree that a huge part of celebrating this holiday is the near legendary Easter Brunch at Black Butte Ranch. Indulge with the Ranch Benedict with Parisian Ham and Pepper Vodka and herb hollandaise  followed by a slice Dulce de Leche Cheesecake.

How about nine holes to work off the calories?  So far March has not entered like a lion, making it possible to open nine holes of Big Meadow golf course on March 5.  So you can enjoy your Easter Brunch and follow it up with a rousing round of family golf.  This spring, as unpredictable as it will be, has boundless possibilities.

We look forward to seeing you around the Ranch!

Katie

Olympics puts National and Regional Pride on Display

As Mark Morical wrote in The Bulletin today, “Central Oregon is well-represented at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.”  Central Oregon has three athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in addition to four others who are coaching for the US Olympic team.  Wow! Central Oregon has a strong tradition of developing athletes in the sports of skiing and snowboarding.  Our local athletes are Torin Koos, 29,  competing in cross-country skiing; Tommy Ford, 20, competing in alpine skiing; Chris Klug, 37, competing in alpine snowboarding.

Americans are very proud of their athletes and it’s interesting to watch people rooting for athletes competing in a sport that we sometimes know nothing about.  Obviously we all know skiing and snowboarding, but there are a multitude of events such as curling or skijoring (huh?).

The Olympics is a time when the world can come together and put differences aside for hi-caliber competition.  I look forward to watching how it all plays out and cheering on our Central Oregon athletes.