Seasons Greetings!

We are spending the Christmas holiday in Florida, so no real tree this year. Lucy didn't mind the silver tree but she was disappointed that we couldn't place christmas lights on the "conductor of electricity" tree.

The Silver Tree


We like robots.


Spaceships are very festive.

We made it here safely. And although we will be missing the white christmas in Colorado, you really can't complain about 70 degree temps in the dead of winter. Yes, visions of sugar plums are dancing around in Lucy's head as well as chocolates, and ice cream and hot chocolate and other decadent treats. So the only question left to answer is whether Lucy was...

naughty or....


...nice?!?!

Hope everyone has a great Christmas Day!

Mele Kalikimaka

I was fortunate recently to attend a conference in Kauai at the Princeville Hotel. From a meteorologist's perspective it was a prime week to be there since a powerful Kona Low pummeled the island with high winds, 20+ surf, and heavy rain. From a tourist perspective, that kind of weather sucks. Oh well, the temperature was sublime the entire time, and there were brief periods where the clouds cleared and I could enjoy the spectacular view. There are worse places to hang out in the rain. Here are some pictures of the trip:

Big Sur Country

As we sit inside, with below freezing temperatures outside, it is nice to think back to our summer on the coast. We traveled down Highway One on several weekends, enjoying a world class stretch of coastline called Big Sur. Named after the river which flows through the area, it is a rugged region of wilderness on the sea. We enjoyed the Pfeiffer State Beach and the State Parks, with the majestic redwoods and jagged rocks and cliffs carved by the Pacific. I also had a chance to read Kerouac's book of the same name, which chronicles his trips to a cabin beneath the Bixby Bridge in the 60's. Landmarks like the Bridge and Nepenthe (a restaurant with a spectacular view) are still there, and the coast itself is timeless. By far one of the darkest books Kerouac wrote, it is a stream of consciousness in a period when Jack was an extreme alcoholic. I had no bouts with delirium tremens during our trip so his experiences there were quite different than mine, but I imagine everyone who visits Big Sur is affected profoundly.

Bixby Bridge

Pfeiffer State beach

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Waterfall

The Coast
Check out the rest of the photo album here:

Big Sur