'Tis the Season
There are just a couple days 'til Christmas and the smell of pine and roasting turkey fills the room and a cool breeze blows in from the yard that offers a view of black clouds that finally aren't dumping rain in endless amounts on Orange County. I just talked to my sister Patricia up in June Lake and she said the "Face" of June Mountain opened several days ago, which is more than enough for anyone in the know to realize an enormous amount of snow has fallen in the last week or so. Like every winter, Trish said she's moving, she's tired of shoveling. Brother Bob called from Truckee called yesterday and said the snow started out wet Sunday and then turned to perfect powder at Northstar. He had the luck to teach a private to a 12-year-old snowboarder who was already good, but just hadn't had a chance to ride powder, so Bob introduced him to fluff in the trees.

The winter solstice arrived Tuesday and I spent all of that day in the hospital with my daughter, who got through an emergency appendectomy and was back home the next day thanks to the fine care of the nurses and doctors of Saddleback Memorial. My heart goes out to those whose pain can't be fixed with laparoscopy and who had no home in which to seek shelter from these storms. This has been a time of deep trouble in America and the world and yet so many of us have so much to be thankful for.

We might even get a chance to get a little fishing in now that the forecast is for better weather. Check out the latest reports and announcements on our site here at SFR and you'll see there are plenty of boats ready to get you out for a shot at the rockfish before that season closes for two months on Jan. 1.

Meanwhile, enjoy your friends and family and enjoy the blessings of this holiday season.

Merry Christmas