By Bob Spiwak
There’s not much point in dwelling on the snowfall this past week. It’s Monday morning now and still coming down. The anomaly being that half of the (unrecorded) days brought periods of warm sunshine. No spring flowers showing yet, but they are waking up, I betcha. With this moisture it could be a bonnie floral display this year. But first, another 10 inches this week is predicted.
We intermittently check what is happening on Harts Pass each February and there has been an interesting turn of events up there. The figures from 6,500 feet up give some idea of the flood potential when the melt commences. In the past week the snow depth has gone from 70 inches to 90. The snow-water equivalent has risen from 81 to 90 percent. Nothing to panic over, but these figures represent the biggest one-week jump we have seen this year.
Over many years we have noted what we call “Brushes With Stardom,” wherein rather than meeting a famous person directly, one has had contact with somebody who has had such an encounter. I am ashamed to note that it has taken this long to proclaim a brush with stardom, so close that I did not make the connection. He is reading this right now and he with whom I brush regularly is Don Nelson, editor and publisher of this newspaper. The star is Nelson’s brother Bob, who wrote the screenplay for the hit movie Nebraska. So it is not only from this desk, but half the valley who has had the same brush. Don will be at a showing of the movie at the Mazama Community Club on Feb. 25 and says he’ll answer questions and comment on the flick.
A Mazaman who is a star in my book and known to ever-so-many people is Jay Lucas. One of the old timers — we both got to the valley about the same time — he was, for years, one of the driving (OK, skiing) forces that led to the formation of the Methow Valley Ski (now Sport) Trails Association. But my regard for this guy is for his kindness and helpfulness in all manner of things.
In this case, every winter the snow over the SLIME meeting area builds up on the roof, and when the big slides come, they fold over and bury two benches and part of our propane heater. Jay will come out and view the mess, put down his coffee, grab a shovel and proceed to remove the snow, flipping the heavy cargo out to the patio. Not only that, he then commandeers the broom and sweeps the deck. Whatta guy! Thanks, from all of us SLIMEy people.
