weather problems, ski trips

Apparently we dodged a bullet here last saturday. About 4 pm all the lights blinked out for a second and the cable tv went out for a while. I only learned later that about that time one of the biggest power outages in this part of the midwest hit, tens of thousands of people just north of here. My sister and several of the Inali dancers were out for a day or more. The last I heard, just about everyone has power back now. Of course, the wind outside is 30 mph, so the lines could go down again.
I do want to talk more about my ski trip out west in a few posts. One thing I couldn't believe is how Steamboat Springs has grown over the years. New houses everywhere! Also new condos, stores, and everything else. It's not really a small town anymore.
One really neat thing that took place while I was there was the valentines day lighted ski. That evening, after dark, a large group of instructors and patrollers gathered on a slope high above the base. Holding flares in both hands, they formed a huge heart. As fireworks went off above, they started to ski down in two spiraling lines (this was an expert slope!) They disappeared behind a hill, then came out just above us, skiing to a stop in a line, still holding their flares. As they broke up, the fireworks went into high gear. A fantastic show!
More later on the trip.