You are cordially invited to a special event February 14 to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Range & River Books and the special sweeties in your life. Enjoy endless cups of tea and treats all afternoon while in the store for only $5. It is a great way to sample the variety of teas we feature while browsing or visiting with friends. We’ll have plenty of herbal and caffeine free choices that can be enjoyed by all ages too. I’ll read Valentines stories from 2-3 as well.
From 3 – 7, we’ll serve special Sundaes for Two made from delicious Cascade Glacier Ice Cream. We’ll keep the doors open an extra hour so you can fit in a sundae after dinner or before the movie.
We love our customers every day, but of course Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to show it! Celebrate with us!
We have so much to be grateful for in 2014, especially our supportive customers. So to show our appreciation and to honor the season and source of all this paper, we have been offering tickets since early December for a lovely Blue Spruce tree. With help from two kind young men (also excited readers)
These two excellent readers helped pick the winning tickets for both tree contests this year. Thanks boys!
we drew a winning ticket on the last day of the year. Congratulations to Suzanne Pfeil! Hopefully her yard will be graced for years to come with this beautiful tree. If you did not win this year, stop by Chalfant Big Trees where this one came from for a great selection. I have a couple spots in my yard to fill….
We also have two winners for our favorite Storybook Tree Contest. Each year we ask customers to come up with a list of children’s books that relate to our tree ornaments, and it is just the most fun watching families work on this together and reading what titles people come up with to go with our ornaments! Tara and Tulie are the lucky winners of $25 gift certificates, which should keep them stocked in more kids books and maybe a little ice cream!
We have two new books available from local authors, and another on the way….
The first is A Log of a Snow Survey by Patrick Armstrong, a Bishop and McCall, Idaho resident. Mr. Armstrong began doing snow surveys in 1972, also the year he represented the US on the Biathlon team, and has continued the arduous skiing and backcountry survival required to measure mountain snow packs ever since. You may not have given snow surveys much thought before now, but this book will give you a new appreciation for the challenge of measuring the West’s greatest water resource. The book is graced with lovely artwork by Nancy Overholtz for another dose of local talent as well as some photographs. Copies are available at $19.99
The second unique new title is an almanac style gardening journal called A Gardener’s Companion, packed with local gardening information, timelines, and articles, and written by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Inyo and Mono Counties. Now is the time to be ordering seeds and sketching your garden plan, as well as a list of other activities you’ll find in these pages, so don’t put off picking up your copy! If you have ever been frustrated trying to use Sunset’s broad climate categories, this book will be an immense help with specific ideas for climates ranging from Topaz to Tecopa. It is also pretty to look at with a cover painting by Mickey Short and more artwork through out. The price for this gem is $24.95.
And coming soon, a childrens’ book by local artist and author Shelly Wilson on Rudy the Baby Donkey. Cute, cute, cute. Let us know if you want to be on the list for this one!
Here in our cozy book store, we are quite partial to trees on so many levels, from our favorite artists’ renditions of local trees to the trees outside the window, to, of course, the raw material for the lovely books on the shelves. So for the holidays, we celebrate trees again this year with TWO contests.
The Storybook Treehas become a tradition, and I love adding relevant ornaments. All you have to do to enter is come up with ten children’s stories (or nursery rhymes, poems, or in a pinch, movies) that relate to the ornaments on the tree. Easy. There are no right or wrong answers, and in fact I enjoy seeing what springs to mind for some people. It is really fun for multigenerational groups too! We’ll draw the lucky winners from the entries on the last day of the year, and you can enter every time you come in, so your chances are great!
The second tree contest is BIGGER and better too! With every $25 in purchases you receive an entry ticket for a lovely 4″ Blue Sprucefrom Chalfant Big Trees. Or you can purchase chances for $5 each. You could have the perfect Christmas tree in your yard for years to come if you win this one! We will hold that drawing on the last day of the year too, and will deliver it to you if you are in the general Bishopy area. I’m working on some bookish decorations too, we’ll see how that turns out, but in either case it is a gorgeous $150 tree, so don’t miss out on this drawing.
Yes I am shamelessly “borrowing” these ideas from other bookstores, but I think they are okay with it…
Don’t get sucked into the dismal, quagmire of Black Friday shopping- what a terrible idea anyway! Makes you think of the Stockmarket Crash and other catasrophic events. I know braving the crowds in a mall would be catastrophic for MY holiday mood. Now Plaid Friday is much more colorful, diverse, and just plain interesting, just like shopping in our local bookstores, right? And Cyber Monday? Why bother when you can enjoy Cider Monday at Range & River Books. We’ll serve hot spiced cider all day, offer up some special deals, and even gift wrap!
The Cider Monday idea comes from the well named Toadstool Booksops in New Hampshire. Here is what the owner, Willard Williams, says about the shopping event, which I cannot put any better:
Shoppers are promised cider, smiling servers that will not crash, personal service and advice, the opportunity to touch and try before adding to the cart (err… armful), no logins or passwords, payment in cash if desired, and always free freight. Simply take your purchases home with you, no charge.
Locally owned stores everywhere are invited to join in this year’s celebrations.
The good thing about dressing like a gypsy is that no one notices your clothes inside out, and the good thing about throwing a crazy spooky Halloween party is that no one really notices when things are a little crazy. So Templeton’s Carnival was just a little extra crazy, but the 60 plus extra cute kids and their tolerant families did not seem to mind! Ghost Story Party 2014 is in the books so to speak, and our first children’s event in the new store and third store event in a month….well what can you say. Even my pictures are, um, crazy.
If it needs explaining, Templeton is the rat in Charlotte’s Web who over enjoys the State Fair Carnival. Our version had some Halloween twists, and Halloween stories too of course, plus a gypsy fortuneteller, carnival games, a pig pen with missing pig, clowns, and a few rats and spiders distantly related to Charlotte and Templeton. I don’t think there were any nightmares afterwards!
I truly appreciate my staff and extra helpers who are all such good sports, as well as all of the families who show up to make it fun. Thank you!!
Here are some pictures, hopefully I dig up some more with AJ as a web minding Wilbur’s pig pen!
Lindsey and her monarch daughter Sarah enjoy some treats!Sarah doesn’t mind sharing popcorn with this rat, but touch it? No way!Thanks Jen, and don’t mind the rat in there.Chloe and Sarah practice some skillsI hope George Washington has his sword handy, that Clown has a very spooky look in his eyes….Gypsy Erin was surrounded all night by folks (of all ages) wanting to know the mysteries of the future!A little candy overload I think.Well some carnies are cuter than others! These two were a big help, and clearly enthusiastic.
Our wages are not that bad, but Courtney will “Work for Books”, unless she runs off to join the circus. Or maybe Disneyworld…Lord Cornwallis and George Washington mostly put battles aside to enjoy the carnival!Does a ghost HAVE a future? This one is trying to find out!Step Right Up for some carnival games, just as hard as the real ones.Anything I write may incriminate me, but they are cute right? Thanks for being a good sport Colton.Pirate Fairy and the Firefighter have arrived!Emma is such a great help – not everyone can run a Clown Face game with style and humor!Speaking of style – how cute is this Scarlett!This was the best witch hat I’ve seen! And some of the most loyal customers!Pretzels, apple pie, hot dogs, popcorn and spider eggs, typical fair food.Thanks to these two, Dani and supercrafter Clara, many fairgoers made chalk and glue spider webs. That’s Terrific to quote Charlotte.Awesome job by Sam and Celica helping kids build spider webs!
What can I say, some 4Hers just never want to give up and leave the fair.
I realized early in my art career that female’s names may change, so I decided to always use my middle name Marit as my art signature. Good thing!
After teaching mostly junior high school art and being a “jack-of- all- trades” for 26 years, I finally settled down a few years ago to explore watercolor. Now a devotee to the medium there is always a painting sitting before me. With an abundance of breathtaking landscapes constantly changing in a never ending parade of shapes, shades and shadows, I am on inspiration overload. As a member of the Eastern Sierra Plein Air Painters my senses have been introduced to the pleasures of painting on location. I also enjoy painting in my studio where light flooding in my window on some object will motivate me to take brush in hand. I am especially excited with the possibilities of carefully combining color and composition and strive to make each painting an expression of what I see.
I received a BS in Visual Design from Auburn University, a Masters in Art from University of South Carolina and have taken and taught many art classes over the years. My work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and shows. I currently have work at Inyo Council of the Arts, Bishop Art Supply Gallery, Radio Shack, and Mono Council of the Arts. I also enjoy showing in the Altrusa Show each year
After retiring from teaching in Germany with the Department of Defense Schools, I now reside with my husband Steve in Paradise in the eastern Sierra Nevada overlooking the lovely Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. I can be reached at
lmarit12@hotmail.com or Lynn Marit Peterson, 17 Sierra Vista Circle, Bishop, CA 93514 760-387-2646
We are tucked into our new Main Street location, and ready for the event we moved here for – the Chocolate Walk! (Okay it is not the only reason we moved, but it IS a good one right?)
Our newest installation of Robert Miller’s art – these are some of my favorites so far…
Our store will feature the art of talented watercolorist Lynn Marit Petersen and our favorite artist-in-residence Robert Miller will have several new, and stunning, pencil drawing prints. From jewelry artist Julie Prange we have a lovely collection of bead and mixed media earrings and necklaces, and Beverly Schroeder has for sale some bead and metal earrings that make me drool.
Our artist Bob Miller grabbing some of his favorite molasses cookies.
Musical entertainment will feature the live, eclectic, and unplugged, sounds of father/son duo Mike and Matt Muldoon! We have been trying to get these talented folks to perform for some time, and the schedule finally worked out – couldn’t be happier! Mike will be on percussion and Matt will be playing guitar and vocals. Music will start at 6:00.
And oh yes, the chocolate! We will be serving Death by Chocolate Ice Cream samples and Night of the Iguana Chocolate Chai Tea. This tea is named for the complex play by Tennessee Williams set in Mexico, and according to the supplier, lives up to that name in every way. At least six mysteries share the title Death by Chcoloate, so pick your favorite for that one. You have to appreciate the literary connections right? Plus our staffmember Kayla is making us some Nutella and raspberry brownies that sound heavenly, and a selection of other brownies will round out the treat table.
Please plan on stopping by sometime during the evening to say hello to our artists, start your holiday shopping, enjoy the music and the treats, and visit with friends on the front porch. With this warm for fall weather, it really should be a nice evening. Like some of you I’m sure, I’ll be dividing my night between the Homecoming game and the walk, but I sure hope to see you!
When I went to my first “gift show” in San Francisco this summer, I did not expect to come home with an order for hand lotion. I love beautiful smelling things as much as anyone, but lots of stores sell hand lotion and it just wasn’t on my list of possibilities. But when Katie and I passed the elizabethW booth in the handcrafted, local and artisan section of the giant convention center, we were pulled right in. It turns out, these beautifully packaged and unique fragrance items are made in the Bay area, but inspired, says the owner, by his great-grandmother Elizabeth Wightman who started a ranch in the Sierra in the 1800’s “when neither grace nor style were required or desired”. The brochure continues that “her spirit of determination and independence went hand in hand with her romantic nature and classic elegance. She was the obvious inspiration for his business”. Sounds like my grandma, and truly a woman after my own heart. How can I pass up that marketing? And then, you take a few test whiffs, and we were sold! We chose the Purely Essential Collection, with letterpress packaging and the scents of Cucumber, Lavender and Rosemary. Each one is infused with California Poppy extract and contains only essential oils and extracts. The catalog states “From the earth to the bottle, this true botanical collection seeks to offer harmonious, incredibly effective products for bath, body and home”. We are carrying hand lotion, bath fizzes, lip balm, and diffuser oil. They all smell wonderful, and would be ideal gifts. Please come by and take a whiff, and honor those determined and independent women who pioneered with grace and style.
The same ElizabethW line was featured in the October issue of Victoria magazine – always a source of beautiful inspiration!
What a great turn out for our Grand Opening Celebration! The store was truly hopping, and everyone seemed excited and pleased to be there. My family and I truly appreciate all the support and good wishes, it is so nice to celebrate a little after all the weeks of scrubbing, painting and hauling! We really can’t say enough how glad we are to have the loyal customers we do, and it is so, so good to see new faces as well. It was certainly the best possible blessing on the new venture to see you all!
There are too many people to thank, but here are a few that can’t go unrecognized: Store staff – Courtney (who managed her first Saturday morning alone while I cooked!) Kayla, Lindsey, Chris, Celica, Rachel, Carla and Jennifer (and mini-helper Sarah), and their families too, Bob Miller, who brought new artwork to display and frequent treats, Rearview Mirror band (Brad, Brian and Bart), Brian Grevenkamp for stepping in as a roadie, Corrie Delgiudice for bringing over ground Looney Bean coffee, especially the DELICIOUS Range & River blend, Kaylie Barrett for sharing her wonderful piano music through the evening, Greg Smith and Charlie Broten for agreeing to play and showing up with NO advance notice, my friend Cindy and niece Elisabeth for sending gorgeous flowers, Deb Murphy for writing a great article about the new store in the Inyo Register, Lauren at KIBS for making sure we got radio advertising, and again, all of you wonderful friends and loyal customers for your support and kindness.
If you missed the big day, we would still be very glad to see you, come drop by!
