STILL COLD!

OKAY, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST WEEK: WE HAVE 6 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND (WHEN THE SUN SHINES, IT IS BEAUTIFUL!) AND THE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. BUT IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET AS WARM AS 30 DEGREES TOMORROW! THEN WARMER BY THE WEEKEND, AND MAYBE EVEN HIT HIGH 60'S NEXT WEEK. I HEARD THAT THE GROUNDHOG DIDN'T SEE HIS SHADOW LAST WEEK, SO SPRING SHOULD BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I AM ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BLOOMS ON THE FLOWERING QUINCE -- THE FIRST SIGN OF IMPENDING SPRING. ONCE THIS SNOW MELTS, I MAY SEE SIGNS OF TULIPS, BUT I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH JUST YET. SPRING IN THIS PART OF OKLAHOMA DOESN'T REALLY START UNTIL APRIL, THOUGH I CAN BE HOPEFUL OF SEEING GREEN SIGNS EARLIER, MAYBE IN MARCH.

THE WATONGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BANQUET THIS PAST MONDAY NIGHT WENT WELL. WE HAD A FULL HOUSE OF OVER 200 GUESTS. I MADE IT THROUGH MY "PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS" AND HOPE I LEFT THE ROOM WITH A FEELING OF OPTIMISM FOR GOOD THINGS TO BE DONE IN THE COMING YEAR, INCLUDING A FARMERS MARKET.

WE ARE GETTING READY FOR THE ANNUAL TROUT DERBY AT ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK, AND ANDY AND I HAVE SOME GUESTS REGISTERED FOR THAT WEEKEND (FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH). WE ARE DONATING ANOTHER GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE TROUT DERBY THIS YEAR -- LAST YEAR'S WINNER OF THE GIFT CERTIFICATE CAME TO STAY EARLIER THIS YEAR AND IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO BOOKED A ROOM WITH US FOR THIS YEAR!

MY JOB AT THE PARK IS GOING WELL. I AM WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER SOME PROGRAMS TO HAVE READY BY SPRING BREAK. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE OVERWHELMING, BUT I'VE CHOSEN THREE TO START OUT WITH: (1) AN INFORMATIONAL TOUR COVERING THE HISTORY OF THE PARK, CANYON, AND LODGE; (2) AN INTERPRETIVE TOUR TO HIGHLIGHT THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS' WORK IN THE PARK; AND (3) A "DARK SKIES" PROGRAM, TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF AREAS (LIKE THE PARK HERE) THAT AREN'T AFFECTED BY 'LIGHT POLLUTION'--HOPEFULLY WITH SOME "PROFESSIONAL" INPUT FROM THE OKLAHOMA CITY ASTRONOMY SOCIETY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS AN OBSERVATORY NEAR WATONGA CALLED "CHEDDAR RANCH"....

I WELCOME FEEDBACK!