I'm not certain how spring slipped to fall so quickly nor how the end of the year took such a big step forward, yet certain that this year's advent of snow is not on the same timeline. It's late! I've been looking for signs of snow, having yet to see more than intermittent skiffs on the mountain tops. This weekend, around town I wore shorts and a T-shirt. Last weekend, I was on a river trip, again in shorts and T-shirt. It's November, for crying out loud! I'm getting worried.

Maybe it's my fault. I may have placed a snow jinx on the mountains. I took a risk, thinking - excitedly - that there'd be snow when this issue hit the newsstands. Proof of the risk is on the cover, where you'll see an image of a skier in waist-deep powder. Had the cover choice been a sweaty hiker, perhaps we'd have snow. Sorry! Rather than filling the Gallery with snow photography, I should have opted for skinny dipping or a snake shedding its skin. That way, like with forgetting to put film in the camera, snow would make like wildlife and show itself in great quantities. Again, sorry! But it should be snowing by now, or at least colder.

Now I've done it: I've worked myself into a corner where it is impossible to avoid embarrassment. Having lamented no snow, it's probably piling up as you read this. Snow or no snow, I'm deep in it.

I'd better change topic before I freeze. Good things happened in 2007, one of which was Inside/Outside Southwest turning to full-color glossy. We're now distributed to where we once only dreamed of going. We tripled the number of copies we print each issue and more than doubled our paid subscriptions.

Things are looking good for 2008, but we won't take credit for the snow unless it's piled deep. Thank you for helping to make 2007 such a great year for us!