Happy New Year 2026
We are wishing everyone a wonderful year!
(sunrise by the barn)
We are planning a lot of great experiences for 2026 from birding, butterflies, and puma workshops to book making, jewelry making, writing, pottery, and food!
The workshops will be on the website, so take a peek when you get a moment.
January through June are posted on the website under Lodge Events.
LODGE NEWS:
The new mini-splits are going to be installed starting this week.
It means real air conditioning for the Summer. Yahoo.
LODGE WORKSHOPS:
January 24th and 25th accordion bookmaking with Jasmine Quinsier-Freitas
Limit 10 participants, lunch is included, and the cost is $250.
June 17th, 18th,and 19th- workshop with awarding winning potter Janet Burner.
Limit 10 participants, lunch included, and the cost is $400.
April- 24th, 25th, and half day on 26th.
Birding with Devyn at Natural Curiosity's Hermosa, New Mexico
Limit 14 participants, all meals included (catered by the Cafe here),
Cost is $800.
May 8th, 9th, and half day on the 10th
Puma Workshop with Dr. Travis Perry at Natural Curiosity's Hermosa, New Mexico
Sponsored by Natural Curiosity and New Mexico Land Conservancy
Limit 14, all meals included(catered by the Cafe here).
Tax Deductible Donation of $1500.
Come learn about Pumas and Conservation Easements!
CAFE NEWS:
We are going to Oaxaca. We are hoping to bring back a bunch of chocolate.
It will be fun experimenting with it.
We are hoping for an Oaxacan Chocolate dessert on the 31st special dinner.
January 20th, Tuesday 6pm-Wine Pairing Dinner
January 31st- Saturday 6pm-Wine pairing dinner of Claire's design.
February 17th, Tuesday 6pm is Chinese New Year.
Come and celebrate with us.
It is the Year of the Horse.
Menus are online and reservations a must.
10% percent off-if you come and stay and have one of above the special dinners with us.
GALLERY NEWS:
We are very excited that Jasper, one of Blue Dome Gallery's artists, has gotten a ceramic internship in North Carolina and also a job with the famous potter, Akira Satake.
Very exciting to see his future work.
Clay Festival has moved to June this year.
The Lodge will host a workshop with award winning potter, Janet Burner.
MUI REPORT:
Mui oversaw the installing of the luminarias on Christmas Eve-from the filling the bags with sand, to their placement, and the lighting of the candles.
The Lodge looked beautiful. The rain held off till 9ish, a light sprinkle started, and it made all of us smile, except Mui who doesn't like to get wet.... but a job is a job.
BARN NEWS:
Z developed an upper respiratory infection this past month.
Her vet prescribed a week's worth of antibiotics.
The pills were 10 per dose twice a day( horse size).
I mixed molasses. applesauce, a bit of senior feed, fresh apples and carrots together. One of guests asked who ordered the veggie plate! Both of the mares loved it, you can see Pixie licking her lips. As the song goes, " A spoonful of (molasses) makes the medicine go down"! Z is fine now, but they are wondering where the special plates went.
A SPECIAL INVITATION FROM THE TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART:
Many of you know John McNulty and Jeffery Brown are partners in the Lodge.
John retired from the Museum after a long and stellar career there.
The Museum is looking for volunteers.
It is a wonderful opportunity to experience the Museum first hand and meet people.
email them to volunteer -info@tucsonmusuemofart.org
WORD OF THE MONTH:
Eunoia-means a feeling of goodwill.
Definitely something we need.
I am working my eunoia daily-today we have a light sprinkle of rain definitely helping my eunoia.
Call us today at 575 538 2538 or reserve online.
BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE FEBRUARY
The sunrise this morning was scarlet red!
Perfect for thinking about February.
We should celebrate a little.
The good things of February-chocolate, pinon smoke from the fireplace,
fuzzy horses, and great neon sunrises.
LODGE NEWS:
The mini-splits are in-new heating and air conditioning. Yahoo.
We still need to put the covers on the units and paint.
One can always tell when it is hunting season, the deer population doubles.
They know they are safer here. We can always tell the visiting deer - they run when we approach. The resident herd doesn't, they are very comfortable.
CAFE NEWS:
We went to Oaxaca for many reasons, but chocolate was the main one.
Oaxaca was beautiful, the food was great, and Monte Alban site is very amazing, both for size and the cistern system. We recommend a trip there to one and all.
One of the main interests for us was CHOCOLATE, which we brought back a bunch.
We have already made the brownie recipe with it. We were very happy- nicely smooth and great favor. We are very excited to experiment with it.
We also brought back regional spices for the February 20th wine pairing.
We are going to make a mole with local pistachios, Hatch chile, and Oaxacan spices. New Mexico meets Oaxaca.
The dessert is going to be a more savory tres leche cake with ground corn powder than we normally make. It is very fun to experiment and tasty too.
The Cafe has lots of great menus this month.
Valentines Day, the 14th, is a fundraiser for Silver City Rotary.
They are almost sold out, so call asap if you want to come.
We are also having a lodge Valentine's Day Dinner on the 12th, 13th, and 15th.
These evenings are very limited seating.
Chinese New Year's we are celebrating on the 16th and 17th.
It is the Year of the Horse- big one for me.
I was born in the year of the horse (big surprise).
Claire is cooking on Tuesday, the 24th-always exciting.
The menus are online.
Hope to see you and get your feedback on some of the new dishes.
BARN NEWS:
All is good on the western front. We got a couple of inches of moisture. Yahoo!
After the dry conditions of the last two years, it is definitely something to cheer.
MUI REPORT:
Mui oversaw the taking down of the holiday decorations, which Charlsie Mae, the black poodle, was "helping" too. He chased her through the great room, down the pantry hallway, and through the dining room multiple times, to the point we put her in the office for her safety and the ornaments safety. He was in full panther stalking mode.
Mui thought it was a great way to start the new year.
WORKSHOP NEWS:
Remember to sign up:
for the birding with Devyn at Natural Curiosity in Hermosa, New Mexico
(April 24-26th))
or
to learn about Mountain Lions and Conservation with Dr. Travis Perry
(May 8-10th)
or
Pottery with Janet Burner
(June 17-19th)
All are great opportunities.
WORD OF THE MONTH:
These two words were found in "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows".
Craxis-
the feeling of sudden unease that your life, carefully built could instantly overturn.
A house of cards. Trust your instincts...my advice. Change can be good too.
Suerza
a feeling of quiet amazement that one exists at all.
Personally they follow each other- it is amazing we have lived, taken risks, and lived to tell about it. Sometimes risk and luck is a good thing.
Call us today at 1 575 538 2538 or reserve online.
