Okay, I was the first one to wish for a quick and easy winter, knowing whole-heartedly that living in New England means a long, harsh winter of ice storms, snow, sub-zero temperatures, and plenty of shoveling, snow blowing, and trips to the local car wash.  Be careful what you wish for – we’re on the doorstep of March and so far this winter has been a complete dud in New England. It’s been unseasonably warm, weather patterns are bringing snow to the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and the ski areas throughout northern New England are without a natural white landscape.  There’s plenty of downhill skiing, but if you’re like me – looking for areas to cross country ski, snow shoe, or try out that new toboggan – good luck. Last weekend I traveled to Gilford, NH looking to go ski touring, but the area at Gunstock was closed. The next morning, I drove further up north to Jackson, NH and found an open facility, but the conditions were poor. There were bare spots, icy patches, and the depth of the snow was inconsistent. We ended up ice-skating at Nestlenook Farm instead, which was rather exciting. I zipped up and down the pond, going under the sleigh ride bridge and ending it with a fire and a warm drink at a popular local coffee house in North Conway, NH. Inside the coffee house, people were talking about the lack of Mother Nature’s winter white wonder – asking themselves why Washington D.C. and Virginia got the jackpot this year. The lack of snow has a rippling effect in the already brittle economy. And I mean beyond the ski resorts… Less snow means less salt on the road, which in turn means less work for snowplows and all that other machinery we hear out our windows during winter driving conditions. Have you visited a car wash lately? Yep, there’s less income for area car washes, too.  Despite my selfish thoughts about not wanting a long winter and preparing for Spring back in October – I am a New Englander. I expect snow. I expect cold weather in February and not temperatures in the 50s and rain. It just isn’t right.

Apple is almost ready to release it’s next operating system, Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6). This September, users can upgrade from Leopard (OS X 10.5) and it will only cost 29 bucks. Not bad, huh? From all the information available at Apple’s WWDC 2009, it looks like there are many fantastic new updates and services coming our way this September, but in my opinion, one of the biggest updates for the new Apple OS is the ability to integrate with Microsoft Exchange. Using Address Book, Mac Mail, and iCal with Exchange is huge, especially if you’re not a fan of Entourage, or have seen it’s flawed behavior when trying to act like Outlook.  Of course, the other major factor in OS X Snow Leopard is speed. It is going to get a heck of a lot faster installing software, opening email, web pages, and ejecting drives. There are tons of other new features, but what tops the list? Speed and Exchange support of course. See more OS X Snow Leopard here.

Microsoft is releasing Windows 7 on October 22, 2009. Prices vary, but right now you can pre-order Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade for just $49.99.  In my opinion, this new release is what Microsoft Vista was supposed to look like – Windows ME became Windows XP and Windows Vista will become Windows 7. It just seems that Microsoft rushes through every other release, but finally gets it right – I can see Windows 7 being the new Windows XP across the business and corporate landscape, lasting quite awhile. Now, before upgrading to Windows 7, make sure your computer can handle the upgrade.  Microsoft Windows 7 has many new features, but a faster Windows search feature that saves the end-user time is key. HomeGroup is a new tool created for sharing music, movies, documents, and other files all from your computer to others in the same household. It’s simplified home networking.  Microsoft also says that Windows 7 will make joining wireless networks a snap by making connection times quicker and easier, no matter where you are. Besides many new features and speed enhancements, the new OS will work more efficiently and will include many of those missing drivers not found in Vista.  Find more Windows 7 info here.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

A brilliantly timed Nor’easter is well underway this first week of March. Snow is falling very fast throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, dropping up to 15 inches of snow in parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. The early morning arrival of the storm has caused significant delays, accidents, and school cancellations. Only 19 days until Spring arrives…

Once in a while all you need is a picture to make you smile…
Here is Portsmouth, NH on Monday after a brief snow fall occured.