Show Patf This ii what we'?® been asking— sort of For most of this year a main topic of discussion has been the drought All across the country people have been suffering because the expected weather patterns haven't prevailed Rainfall has been scarce — as snowfall was last winter For the most part we’ve been pinning our hopes on winter — Cor lots of snow Well after a long dry — add very pleasant — fall winter came (or Thanksgiving and it looks like it's going to be a long visit It not off to a pretty good start That first storm dumped a owners bunch of now especially in the mountains and water nsers bejpn to feel s little better But it's ben pretty boring since then Our frost and fog regime has already gone too long — and it really han’t ben as odd yet as it can get during cycles like this When we all said wo were hootag for a good winter we meant lots of snow They sUu may come — all those snowflakes thst mnn mneh to those of us who choose to live in this arid area And the kind of westher we’ve ben having is Just one of those things we have to expect whn we live here I've spent nmst of the last 20 winters in Utah many of them hoe I've learned a lot about weather in general and about Cache Valley winters in particular Here are a few things you Ski-res- ort n n 5 PUBLIC EAR ByKUSU-F- "''T M This holiday season KUSU-Fhas a special gift for its listeners an "Audio Christmas Card" in the form of many hours of holiday programming — music drama and spoken word M 8 LOOKING BACK BjAJ SiaaootU i The historic photo collection at USU has grown considerably in recent years The tens of thousands of collected photographs add visual images of the past to the collections of written and Hinted words ' S ” t- - V K V YnH never quite be ready for that first snowfall Yn can subtract at least 10 degrees from the Salt Lake City temperatures to find out what it wflibe here Whn your car seat is as hard as a bleacher bench in the awning it’s at least 10 below aero You will need Jumper cables at least once in the winter The snowplow will dear your street just after you’ve finished shoveling your driveway At some point in the winter — on an empty icy road or in a vacant parking lot — you’ll succumb to the overwhelming desire to “do a doughnut" or evn Just spin your'vehicle's wheels the ice There sre few things as beautiful as Cache Valley just after a snowfall Clear skies however are not good That sparkling blue turns quickly into frosty gray The biggest snowstorm of the year will come the day yon have to travel outside the valley The last remnants of winter on the vslley floor will be those mountains of Mack snow removed from ugly litter-fille- d pandnglots Yon tend to forget how cold it really does get herq in the winter Anil when you’re talking with an "outsider’’ about Cache Valley winters you’ll inevitably catch yourself saying — with a certain amount of pride — “It’s not really that bad You get used 9 BOOK REVIEW By Saun Alien In "My SmaU Countaw Living” and its sequel "Wind in the Ash Tree" Jeanine McMullen shares anecdotes about her charming but not always idyllic life on a small Walsh farm n 10 THE MINI PAGES By Betty Debnaa Two pages especially for kids and their femiUes n to it” And of course the winter rule that holds most true is that as soon as the first snowflake falls from the sky Utah’s skiers will be looking hopefully toward the mountains If it weren't for skiing and other winter recreation the cold months around here would be pretty close to intolerable But in the surrounding mountains there are plenty of dices to go downhill or skiing or to ride tubes sleds or cross-count- 12 POWDER MOUNTAIN By John Wine J ry When local people think about skiing they usually think about Beaver Mountain We’re fortunate to have each a convenient place to hit the dopes Local skiers are pretty possessive about ea — Powder Mountain Geographically much of that resort is within Cache County's borders Photo Editor Pete Schropp and writer John Wise spent a day at Powder Mountain recently and came back with this fact that Cache County actually boasts two major downhill sU areas Most of runsaT Powder Mountain resort are located within Caehe County’s borders 2!! 14 TV LISTINGS Our weekly guide to what’s what on the tube week's feature SUiag is one good way to take advantage of these cold months On many days it's the only wsy to see fee sun and some blue Valley winters can be long and hard Ours is Just and we have to learn to live wife it After all winter ‘isn’t really that bad Yon get used to it 'I ONTHE COVERDr AMn Cobabe founder and owner of Powder Mountain ski resort on of the retort’s I Httdsi Uko cfeslr ML Ovor Cohabit? “ll right shoulder'- - v aw 4 t t I |