December 2006
Happy Holidays to all our friends
It was another enjoyable year at Sleeping Fawn, even though we experienced the heat wave in mid/late July. It was nice have a warm and sunny season so everyone was able to enjoy the lake - lots of people were out fishing, scoping out wildlife along the shoreline, or just reading a good book. Stocking Lake was very active last season, more than we’ve seen it in the past.
Sleeping Fawn had some new amenities this year. There are more Adirondack chairs for everyone to enjoy campfires and the beach; cabin 4's kitchen was completely redone and updated, including new stove and refrigerator, dining table, sliding glass doors, and cabinets; a couple docks have new boards, bumpers and tie downs; the teeter totter got a facelift; the fish cleaning house got a much needed remodel; there has been significant progress on the rock wall along cabin 4. Many friends of the resort helped us make progress on these projects. We want to thank all of you who have helped, Joe couldn’t have gotten this far on his own!
For those of you here last season, you may have noticed that Ellen has been sporting many new hats. The reason for this is because she has been diagnosed with a hair loss condition known as Alopecia Areata. This is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. This disease has no pain nor is it contagious. Although it is awkward for Ellen, she is in good spirits and has been busy shopping for stylish hats. This October, Ellen and her friend Donna went on a bus tour to New York and the surrounding states. They were glad they went, but it was a bit overwhelming. This off season, Ellen continues to drive school bus in the Elk River area, and even claims its her last year of driving. Joe finds that hard to believe. We will see...
Joe took a break from the resort in October, also. He and his friend Chris took a road trip to Colorado. They toured the area around Boulder, the Rocky Mountains, and Estes Park. They both want to go back, its such a beautiful area. In Joe’s off season, he is a recreational employee at Wonewok, the 3M conference center on Mantrap Lake. He also has become a board member for the Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce. This position will help him learn and grow as a business owner. Look for Joe at sportsman and vacation shows as well. He works at the Explore Minnesota and Park Rapids Lakes area tourism booths.
This fall we had a special visit from the original owners of the resort, the Littrell’s. They noticed many changes since they owned the resort in the 1950's. They wrote us a letter with some history of the resort along with a few old pictures. We will have these items for all to view in the office.
Fall has seen the return of some new off season guests - a group of deer have decided it’s a good place to spend the winter. Joe feeds them apples and corn and the deer hang out in the front of the house, near the office. In fact, they are so used to Joe, they stay around when he is outside. They have even taken to looking in the window when its feeding time. There is another spot near cabin 4 where Joe has been trying to get them to eat also. If you stay this winter, you may see them outside the window. We have many pictures of them to share with you next summer!
Our focus for 2007 will include a focus on energy conservation and recycling, and we will continue to enhance the grounds, continue our projects, and expand amenities.
We look forward to another fun filled and relaxing season in 2007. We hope you will have the opportunity to stay or visit.
Thanks again for your continued friendship, we look forward to seeing you soon.
Joe and Ellen
sleepingfawnresort.com
