Mt. Hood National Forest Cabin Fee Update

Displaying blog entries 1401-1410 of 1956
It's that time of the year. Snow is falling in Welches and Christmas tree cutting permits for the Mt. Hood National Forest are available for $5.00. This is a great way to go out to enjoy the forest with family and friends. Up to five permits are available per household! Be sure to bring the hot chocolate and your saw. Permits may be purchased at Mt. Hood area Ranger Stations plus some local vendors:
Christmas tree permits sold at these locations:

GOBBLE! GOBBLE!
Remember when you were a teenager leaving the house on a date? Your parents' last words as you went out the door were, "We'll leave the light on for you". Think about that. So what if they did or didn't leave the light on? Their words were really more of a verbal hug. They cared about you - wanted you to know it - and applied the hug with kind words.
With Thanksgiving in just a few days, why not take the time to "leave the light on" for someone who may not get many hugs? There's still time, and it's easy.
First, learn who needs hugs. Check with your local fire, police, or sheriff's department. Ask whether they know of three or four families or individuals who could use a hug. Ask also whether they would consider delivering your hugs at the appropriate time. Two groups stand out as needy - the elderly and families with small children. Of course, we're talking about individuals who are experiencing difficult circumstances in their lives, be they physical or financial.
Next, consider what type of hugs you have to offer. Perhaps you might prepare three or four Thanksgiving turkeys with all the trimmings. Live in the country where people heat their homes with a wood stove? Deliver firewood. Live in a cold climate? Add some warm socks or a sweater to your dinner box. It's really not that difficult to come up with ideas that would make a difference to your chosen recipients. If you aren't able to provide "things," consider visiting with some nursing home residents. Brighten their day by listening for a while.
It goes without saying that our country is truly blessed. Although practically invisible to most of us, however, there are some individuals who are being challenged. They need a hug, and we can brighten their lives by way of simple gestures. Make a family project out of it - involve your kids. Do it anonymously. Afterwards, when you get home, we'll leave the light on for you!
If you're a cabin owner in the Mt. Hood National Forest, Fran Lanagan, the permit administrator at the forest service, wants all cabin owners to be aware of the current status of next year's lease fees. Here is her statement and a revision underneath:

Cabin Owners,
I made a mistake on the fee information I sent out. I’m so sorry!
Here is the correct information. Simply put, 2011 bills will be the same as 2010, but we must also add the current inflation index which is less than one percent. So, the Forest Service will bill you for the same amount paid in calendar year 2010, with the addition of the annual index.”
I am very sorry about my error. Thanks so much to MHFHA for helping us with the communication.
Fran Lanagan
Permit Administrator
70220 E Hwy 26
Zigzag, OR 97045
503-622-2031
503-622-5622 fax
www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/summerhomes
Here are the numbers from RMLS for 2010 to give you an idea of what is happening as of the end of October. Average sale prices are down nearly 20% compared to last year. This is obviously due to the foreclosure sales this year at the lowest end of the pricing range. Our pending sales compared to last year at this time are down 23%. This reflects the difficulty in getting mortgage money in current times. Most sales that become pending through the rest of the year will probably close in 2011 with the banks moving at a snail's pace. Here's hoping 2011 will see lots of improvement!!

Eight total sales for the month of October. Here they are:

Three foreclosures this month and several second homes with price tags over the $300,000 mark. Finally, a sale in Government Camp!

STRIKE IT RICH!
From the "Commercial and Financial Chronicle" (December 10, 1932) comes this quote from an article entitled "El Dorado":
"El Dorado, a country rich beyond all precedent in gold and jewels, lies at every man's door. Your bonanza lies under your feet. Your luck is ready at hand. All is within; nothing is without, though it often appears that men and peoples by dumb luck or avarice or force or overreaching strike upon the sea of prosperity. Man individually and collectively is entitled to life in all abundance. What do you seek? Pay the price and take it away. There is no limit to the supply. By a full and powerful imagination anything can be brought into concrete form."
Thomas Edison was a man of 10,000 ideas - a virtually endless supply. Grasping those ideas that he attributed as coming "from space," he created a long string of life-changing inventions. By his "full and powerful imagination" he brought the light bulb into its tangible form.
Inside each of us lies that same power - to see the future through our own imagination, and then cause it to happen by taking actions consistent with its manifestation. As author Wayne Dyer said in his book by the same name, "You'll see it when you believe it." By understanding the power of your own imagination, you are capable of creating your own "El Dorado," both in the physical and the spiritual plane.
This Saturday, November 13th is the Welches School Auction at the Mt. Hood Village Resort in Welches. This is a free event and the Silent Auctoin is from 5 to 7 pm. The dinner is from 6 to 8 pm and the LIVE AUCTION is at 7 PM.
The dinner is $10.00 and will be Asian Cuisine: Featuring Chicken, Yakisoba Noodles, Stir Fry Veggies, Fried Rice and Egg Rolls.
This auction helps benefit the Welches School kids and auction items include weekend getaways, local artist works, lift tickets and many local services.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE!
It's so simple . . . the advice given in the above quote . . . and so true. Each of us has the power to elevate the value and quality of our life, simply by "lifting up" our thoughts, by placing our hands firmly on the wheel of positive thinking. Earl Nightingale gave an example in one of his taped programs. He said imagine that you are the operator of a huge piece of earth-moving equipment. You are perched in a small cab, hands on the wheel, and have the ability to move vast amounts of earth. Would you take your hands off the wheel and let it run itself into a ditch?
Your mind, and hence your thoughts, mirror that steering wheel. Through positive thoughts, you guide your life in a direction that produces positive actions, resulting in positive re-actions from others. Refusing to keep your hands on the wheel will quickly deliver you into life's ditches.
Life today is complex. It brings with it many opportunities for negative thinking. They range from the personal early morning "Hurry up, we're going to be late!" to the mid-day business crisis of "The deal isn't going to close!" Another quote goes like this: "Think you can, think you can't, either way you're right!" Again, it's your choice, isn't it?
The next time you feel frustration and doubt creeping into your vocabulary, think of a time when you felt really good about a similar situation . . . then replace the negative thought with a positive statement. As another wise individual once said, "Our lives are what our thoughts make of it."
Keep the date open for the weekend of November 13 from 10 AM - 8 PM and Sunday, November 14 from 10 AM - 5 PM. It's the 21st Annual Holiday Art, Wine & Music Festival at the Resort at the Mountain.
Here are some of the wineries and artisans that will be there over the weekend. A passport for the wine tasting is $15.00 and the event benefits the Oregon Humane Society.
And take a peek at just some of the confirmed artisans you'll enjoy too. If you have time -- study up on their websites before you come! You'll enjoy their beautiful work more than ever!
Displaying blog entries 1401-1410 of 1956