I have an intuition that here in Summit County this is a more dangerous time of year. 

We have many visitors here who seem to be distracted by our lovely mountains. Their driving reflects a lack of focus. 

Then, too, there are too many people skiing and boarding on too little terrain, some … especially those who believe that nothing bad could ever happen to them … are straight-lining, going way too fast into crowds of other skiers and boarders. When I encounter lots of people all bunched on any given run, I stop and wait until the groupings dissipate. No such luck recently. The crowds just kept coming! It is wiser for me to stay off the slopes, especially with the extreme cold we were about to suffer.

The holiday season brings with it extra stresses. There is the stress of having to do last-minute shopping. There is the stress of the crowding that has become the norm at our businesses and stores, especially, for those residents of Dillon at the post office. An hour-and-a-half wait to pick up packages welcomes all who need to rescue their gifts and sundries before they are returned due to them being unclaimed in the allotted time. Talk about a germ-spreader experience and a patience challenger!

I think that it might pay us all to try to slow it down, appreciate the beauty of the light shows the different communities of Summit County have erected and remember to enjoy these times together. Let’s come through these days with some extra blessings that we have made lasting memories that have included being a bit more kind than we might be at other times of the year. After all, isn’t that what these various festivals of light, giving and ceremonial celebrations are about?