Surprisingly for us Californians, weather was the big theme of Christmas this year. At the beginning of her holiday break, Hana went to visit the University of Colorado and Colorado College, arriving just in time for the Blizzard of ’06 (prounounced “aught-six” in CO). She finally caught a flight out three days late on the 23rd, after cross country skiing in the back yard and waiting for DIA to reopen. Admittedly, this is a weather story imported from out of state, but getting her back was the major preoccupation of the week.
We went out to Bonny Doon after Christmas, arriving just in time for the Windstorm of ’06 (pronounced “oh-six” in CA). 150-foot redwoods near the house swayed precariously in the wind- Laura watched one in the meadow drop an 8-inch diameter limb with a resounding crash. We lost power the first morning and stuck it out using the generator for another day, but finally decided we needed more kilowatts and came home. The wind brought some spectacular waves as well – crowds lined the shore in Santa Cruz watching the surfers.