Well, it's hard to believe that we are in the midst of winter when we're having 60 degree days in February. The beginning of March is supposed to come in like a lamb, too. I'm not missing the cold at all, but wouldn't mind a bit of snow - or, how about a nice refreshing rain? I actually saw a daffodil coming up in downtown Evergreen. Can you believe it?

With this warmth, we've been seeing more and more of our four-legged neighbors coming out to play and enjoy the sun. These local residents visit us all the time and are happy to be part of the TallGrass scenery, to delight you when you come to the spa. I just saw our beautiful black fox in the meadow across the road this morning. And, yes, the picture you see here is real. One of our team captured this buck on film, just hanging around the patio, checking out our water feature.

So, come on up to see us and don't miss our Evergreen neighbors of the four-legged variety. They'll warm your heart and make your day!

According to Aveda, the majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recycled. Often these caps end up as litter or trash, in landfills and beaches where they migrate into our rivers and oceans. Birds and other marine creatures mistake them for food with tragic results. The magnitude of this problem is devastating to our oceans and wildlife.

You can be part of the solution by recycling caps with TallGrass and Aveda through a new program that collects caps and sends them to Aveda's recycler. The material is then used to make new caps and containers.

Beginning now and continuing through April Earth Month, we are accepting caps that are recyclable. These are rigid polypropylene plastic, including caps that twist on with a threaded neck (shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles), flip top caps on tubes and food products (ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergent caps and some jar lids (peanut butter). Visit http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.asp for more information about caps that can be recycled and find out how your children's school can get involved, too.

Then, bring your plastic caps to TallGrass and feel great knowing they will be repurposed into new Aveda packaging and kept from entering our waterways and harming wildlife.

Massage therapist Laura Rogers is our Spa Babe, recognized by the Team Leaders at TallGrass for her skills in the massage room and also for the wonderful example she sets by showing how kindness can change the world.

Laura is a board member of a non-profit organization that provides no-cost massage therapy to cancer survivors. It's important to her because she knows just how rehabilitating this service can be. "Some people think of massage as a luxury," says Laura, "but it's really a healthy, healing, preventative therapy that boosts the immune system and keeps muscles supple."

For the non-profit organization, she works in the office and participates on the marketing committee by organizing fundraisers. Her skills as a massage therapist are reserved for TallGrass guests. "I love the contact with my clients," she says. "One hour alone in the massage room is our time together."