Hi Everyone Welcome Back

Its been 4 months since the last post and spring is in the air here in the Puget Sound lowlands.

After a huge snowfall in November, El Nino has been effecting the weather patterns reducing the snowfall in the high Cascades.

Last spring, after what seemed like months of cool weather, many of the flowering trees and shrubs didn't bloom until late April and early May.  This winter is decidedly warmer and trees and plants started budding out and in some cases blooming in late January.

Hundreds of Trumpeter Swans feed in green fields alongside I5 near Conway next to the lower Skagit River and recently hundreds of empty buses passed through the valley heading north to Vancouver and the Winter Olympics to ferry volunteers and spectators to events over the next 12 days.

Two weeks ago the Legendary Banked Slalom snowboarding race was held up at our local ski area - Mt Baker.  You may remember dock guy Odin Barnett - Tom's cousin and son of Jerry and Allyson (who worked the front desk for several seasons).  Odin took 2nd place in his division.  Well done Odin.

Tom used to ski race up at Snoqualmie Pass Ski Area and a friend on his race team Joe Sweetin - well- his son Austin won his division at the Legendary Banked Slalom.  Austin is an amateur just out of high school but is sponsored by a board and clothing manufacturer.  He recently returned from almost a month back east on a photo and video shoot in Canada and the east.  He has been featured in double page ads in various snowboard magazines performing incredible jumps.  Oh to be young again.

Who knows maybe we'll see Odin and Austin someday perform in future Olympics.