Making Spirits Bright

Newsletter

A publication of Ski Landscape Corporation

December 2022

“Snowflake Man” – William Bentley

It’s often said, “No two snowflakes are alike”. But, is this really true? One man, Wilson A. Bentley, a farmer and amateur meteorologist, dedicated himself to answering this question by observing flakes of snow for 50 years.

William Bentley was born in 1865 and raised on a farm in Jericho, Vermont. As a homeschooled child, he had a deep love of nature. On his 15^th birthday, Wilson received a microscope and when he got a glimpse of a six-sided snowflake, that was the beginning of his snowy fascination.

At 17, Wilson’s parents bought him a new microscope and a camera. He spent two years figuring out how to take a picture of a snowflake under the microscope. On January 15, 1885, he created the world’s first microphotograph of a snowflake. Wilson Bentley became known as “Snowflake Man” throughout the village.

Bentley captured over 5,000 images and was the first person to recognize that now two snowflakes were alike. He developed a technique for photographing these crystals, which scientist’s still use today.

Slowly, people became interested in Bentley’s work. In 1920, he became one of the first members of the American Meteorological Society.

Bentley’s proudest moment came in 1931 with the publication of his book “Snow Crystals” which contained 2,453 of his snowflake photos. He was the first American to record raindrop sizes and one of the first cloud physicists.

Wilson Bentley, “Snowflake Man”, died of pneumonia at his farm on December 23, 1931.

Firehouse Square and Stanford Park get new looks from SKI

A Christmas Story

By Mark Reynold, Landscape Architect

On a recent Saturday morning in December, it was the day of the town’s “Weinachtsmarkt” (Christmas market and festival), and I looked forward to the afternoon. The weather was chilly but sunny. Along the 4-block walk to our neighborhood church for choir practice, I noted the street barricades in place to protect pedestrians and carriages from vehicular traffic.

Our choir is small and not particularly tuneful. But we have spirit, and we have fun and lots of energy. We’re lucky that the choir director has a sense of humor too. After singing one verse, he laughed and told us, “That’s not as bad as it sounds.” Finally, rehearsal was over, and he gave us another compliment, telling us, “That wasn’t terrible!”

This year, the town changed the route for horse-drawn carriage rides. For the first time, carriages would pass the corner in front of my house, and I was excited to hear the sleigh bells ringing and Clydesdale's hooves “clip-clopping.”

Neighbors tend to decorate more if they are along the carriage route. But the house across the street from mine was dark and unadorned, and I thought it looked a bit sad. It is owned by an elderly woman in her nineties, and she is unable to decorate anymore. I decided to help by stringing some colored lights across the front of her home.

As I was climbing the ladder with a handful of lights, I heard a car pull up to the barricade and slam on its brakes. I looked to see what was going on, and I could see the driver was frustrated. Suddenly, he decided to make a three-point turn into my front yard to get around the barricade.

Unfortunately, he got stuck on a boulder in the curbside landscaping and gunned the engine, thereby upsetting bricks in the walk and racing toward my front porch. I have a wisteria arbor in front of the porch made with large 6 × 6 posts and I heard a loud “crack” as his font end made contact. I was shocked and upset. Words were exchanged. I calmed down once the driver asked me how to get to the liquor store.

Blog

December SKI TIPS

Secrets of Santa's Reindeer

What is "Boxing Day"?

What is windchill?

by Ann Wolski

Ever notice that you “feel” colder in the winter if the wind is blowing? This is due to the windchill effect. It combines the cooling effect of temperature and wind, which then drives down the “perceived” temperature.

As the wind speed increases, it draws the heat from the body, causing skin temperature and, eventually, internal body temperatures to do down.

Our body keeps a “buffer” or think layer of air next to our skin to help regulate our body temperature of 98.6 °F. A strong wind can disrupt this buffer layer making us feel colder, potentially leading to hypothermia, frostbite, or death.

Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature drops too low, causing uncontrollable shivering, disorientation and incoherence. Get medical attention immediately. If you can’t get help quickly:

· Begin warming the body SLOWLY. Warm the core first, NOT the extremities, which drives the cold blood to the heart and could cause the body temperature to drop further, leading to heart failure.

· Help the person get into dry clothing and wrap in a warm blanket. Be sure to cover the head and neck.

· DO NOT give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee or any HOT beverage or food.

Frostbite is caused by freezing of the skin and underlining tissues. The most susceptible parts of the body are the fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose. If you experience loss of feeling in the extremities and develop a white or pale appearance, seek medical attention immediately. The area should be SLOWLY rewarmed using warm, not hot, water.

Windchill Safety Tips

· Listen to the weather station. A windchill warning is issued when windchill temperatures are life-threatening. Windchill advisories are issued when temperatures are potentially hazardous.

· Where there is low windchill, cover exposed flesh, especially face and hands. Try to cover your mouth to protect your lungs. Mittens are better than gloves.

· Wear layers of loose-fitting, warm clothing, as the layers will trap air and provide insulation. Your outer shell should be water-repellent and hooded.

· Always wear a hat.