Rain in the New Year '07

Last New Years Eve, a disheartening combo of rain and sleet ushered in the New Year. At a friends' party, we warmed ourselves outside by a fire, which struggled to maintain its intensity as the rain and sleet came pouring down. The conversation among the group of avid skiers, snowboarders and outdoor winter enthusiasts standing 'round the fire centered in large part around the unease and dismay we felt about the weather. Climate change and global warming were words on the tips of many people's tongues...