About Josephine County, OR

"Nutcracker" Soldiers in Grants Pass, Oregon

Yes, the Grants Pass "Santa" has brought more gifts, and it just gets better!

Brady Adams at Evergreen Federal Bank has set up the "Nutcracker" Soldiers throughout the downtown as he continues to amaze us with his creativity and generosity!

Downtown Grants Pass makes you feel like you've been "whisked away" to Santas' Toyland.

This is a terrific time of year to visit downtown Grants Pass. Thank you Grants Pass Santa.

Magical Musical Christmas Murals - Grants Pass, Oregon

Looking for a festive activity to entertain the kids and holidays guests? Consider visiting Grants Pass, Oregon, where the Magical Musical Christmas Murals are on display along 6th Street in old downtown.

Beginning the 3rd week of November and running through the first week of the New Year, downtown Grants Pass will radiate with fiber optic dazzle from 18 gigantic Magical Musical Christmas Murals. The over-sized murals weigh 400 pounds each and include automatic sound systems to play the old-fashioned Christmas music emanating from them. The murals are 12 inches thick, ten feet tall, five feet wide, and wired with miles of fiber optic cable and thousands of points of lights.

And what lights! They flow and blink so that snow falls and accumulates, bells ring, gifts collect under the tree, and aurora borealis shimmers in the night sky. Each mural takes 20 to 30 seconds to tell its "story." The murals were manufactured by Fiberoptic Lighting, Inc., of Grants Pass, at an average cost of $12,000 each.

The Magical Musical Christmas Murals are sure to cause visitors and residents of Grants Pass much "ohs and ahs" during the holidays. In addition to this celebratory fun, there is much more to do in our downtown area, such as browsing antique and specialty shops, listening to music, touring the art galleries, having a great cup of coffee, sipping wine, and enjoying our fine eateries.

For added oomph, plan to visit Grants Pass on Friday, December 5th, for the First Friday Night Art Walk, one of the oldest and most popular art walk events in the state. Downtown Grants Pass is a magnet for a proud and passionate art community whose eclectic works provide great shopping gift ideas for Christmas. See you there!

Beaver State Mascot Wreaks Havoc! - Grants Pass, Oregon

Just when we in Grants Pass start thinking we have moved into the "big city" status something happens to remind us how close we are to nature.

When was the last time you heard of America's best dam builder causing problems? Well, it happened Saturday night in Grants Pass. Thanks to the Beaver State Mascotpower went out for 17,500 people in our town, which is over half of the population. The cause? A beaver!

That's right, our Beaver State Mascot chewed through a tree, and the wind did the rest, knocking out power for a time, and reminding us how close we still are to the wilderness. So anytime we get thinking that we're becoming a big city, all we have to do is look at the state flag to be reminded of the Beaver State Mascot.

THE OREGON STATE FLAG IS THE ONLY FLAG WITH DIFFERENT PICTURES ON EACH SIDE!

Brigadoon Fudge - Grants Pass, Oregon

You've heard the story of BRIGADOON, the mythical Scottish city that appears only for one day every 100 years, and each 100 years is just a day in the lives of its' residents. This legend was made into a movie with Gene Kelly and Van Johnson, and they pictured Brigadoon as a wonderful place.

What does that have to do with this fudge? Well, Brigadoon Fudge is almost mythical in itself. It seems to come out perfect about once every 100 tries, but when it does it is absolutely worth the wait! The other 99 tries are still fantastic, but it makes you want to keep trying after it has once turned out perfect to keep going until it happens again.

I remember when I was growing up, each Christmas season, my mother and grandmother would be trying to achieve the perfect Brigadoon Fudge. However, that was not the name they had for it, but after seeing their frustrations at trying to make it perfect again and again, and then when one of them would achieve the perfect results, the jubilation they experienced after trying so hard for so long, always made me think of Brigadoon.

So here's my Grandmother's recipe for Brigadoon Fudge.

• 3 Cups white sugar
• 1 Cup white Karo syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 Pint whipping cream
• Dash of salt
• 1 10oz. package of pecans

Combine sugar, Karo syrup and whipping cream in a medium saucepan. Boil on medium-high heat until it forms a firm, but not hard ball in cold water.

Cool, then add pecans, salt and vanilla. Beat until shine is gone. Pour into an 8x8x2 greased pan. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares. ENJOY!

The Realtor ABC's of Thanksgiving

T is for the trust you earn each day
H is for the heart you pour into your work
A is for all the time you devote to others
N is for your excellent negotiation skills
K is for kindness and the thoughtful deeds you do
S is for smiling, even when you don't feel like it
G is for gratitude, all blessings great and small
I is for ideas, let your creative juices flow
V is for the value you add to every deal
I is for the infinite wisdom you possess

N is for playing nice with your fellow Realtors
G is for Grants Pass Oregon Real Estate