Thoughts on a New Year
Wow! It’s 2008 already.I am filled with optimism at the coming of the New Year. January should bring shoots of winter sports and nature, perhaps a return to Yosemite Valley. February will host an important family wedding and a reunion with loved ones. For right now, I will focus on those two months, packing them with activities.
The days are getting longer. I think of my friends in Madison, WI who are headed into what should be the coldest temperatures of their year in mid-January, with the ice on Lakes Mendota and Monona not really breaking up until sometime in March. At least their winters are sunny. I was younger then….
Back to California – the whales are migrating. The days are becoming longer. February is a good “beach month” (like October) if it does not rain. The winter weather in the Bay can bring great clarity (after a storm) or ominous clouds. All in all, I have to agree with those who say that, in general, the San Francisco Bay Area has some of the best weather in the continental United States. Some of you in other parts of California may disagree, and that’s OK, I will come to visit you and compare!
If that statement sounds cheerful, well, it IS! The year 2007 was one of transition for me, and 2008 will bring continued movement on the new path(s). As Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road…Take it!”
Here are my wishes for the best of everything in 2008 – for all of my friends in high tech, in the arts, and for all of the good folks whom I’ve met along the way. This is an election year (groan), and we are already seeing the limitations of the democratic process, which in nonetheless, the best process that there is! 
We will all live through this. Look on the bright side, and surround yourself with “cockeyed optimists.” Take a bold, fresh look at the world around you. It is really beautiful, but there is a lot for us to do.
Look for a lot of photography of California from me in 2008. Please send me your feedback. As I always told folks in high tech, “I take criticism, but not abuse…”. Some folks just don’t know the difference.
Have a happy and prosperous New Year! Approach the New Year as though anything is possible (most things are)!
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. Apparel and other gifts decorated with some of our most popular photos can be ordered from the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Store on CafePress®.
