By Virginia Parker Staat
Happy New Year to you and yours!
As I write this, we are having the season’s first hard freeze in Texas. Our streets are lined with tropical plants wrapped or draped in colorful sheets and beach towels and looking like enormous Christmas packages. It’s our attempt to save the plants from freezing. It rarely works if the freeze lasts more than 24-hours.
I’m not much for cold weather, having lived the vast majority of my life along the Interstate 10 corridor. It often makes me wonder how those of you in cold country handle six feet of snow and those dark winter skies. Our Texas cold snap does, however, seem to be a fitting end to 2022.
It has been quite a year for RMOWP. Looking back on 2022, we enjoyed new places and opportunities together. Thankfully, we’re meeting face-to-face again and had an excellent conference in Golden, Colorado. The photography and writings we’ve shared continue to show excellence in our respective crafts. We’ve expanded our RMOWP offerings by hosting our first Zoom program so we can stay better connected throughout the year.
We’re looking towards a bright 2023. We’ll be celebrating RMOWP’s fiftieth anniversary this year. Our next conference will be held in Los Alamos, New Mexico, October 3-6. We’re looking forward to new ideas, positive changes, and continuing to foster our commitment to the great outdoors.
I would like to thank each of you for your participation and commitment to RMOWP. David and I wish you a multitude of outdoor adventures, new opportunities, and new beginnings. Most of all, we wish each of you peace, joy, and a healthy 2023.