2006 is rapidly drawing to a close. And with that finale comes the onset of Winter. Many of us in the United States have already experienced some of mother nature's cruelty. Several of our members in the Saint Louis, Missouri area have had quite a lot of snow and ice that brought severe property damage and lengthy power outages. I'm glad to hear that everyone came through it alright.

A member in the mountains of Arizona has had snow and sub-freezing temperatures for almost two months now. On my home front, the snow and temperatures haven't been so drastic, but the winds have wreaked havoc. One day last week we had sustained winds over forty miles per hour with regular gusts between sixty and seventy miles per hour. That's gale-force winds! I'm not sure whose roof pieces were in my back yard, nor am I sure where my roof shingles ended up - probably several blocks away.

On the lower side of the globe, things are beginning to warm. Some of our WINS friends down under are experiencing the warmth and beauty of Springtime. At a glance I think I'm jealous. But then I remember that they were recently freezing while I enjoyed Summer. A couple of years ago I remember conversing with a lower hemisphere member around the end of the year. He told me that on Christmas day he was lying on the beach and applying sunscreen lotion. But while I really don't like the cold and snow, I think I'd find it hard to enjoy Summer-like weather during the Christmas holidays. I guess it just comes down to what you're accustomed to.

In the U.S.A., the colder weather causes an end to many outdoor activities, and our attention turns to indoor pastimes. For those of us who enjoy coin collecting, we find more time to spend with our hobby. It's an opportunity to catch up on our reading, to catalog our collections, and to study more intensely some of those little round disks that we formerly set aside. The indoor Winter setting also provides the time to ponder what new directions our collecting pursuits will take in the future.

Maybe this Winter you'll finally decide to buy that coin book you've been contemplating and earnestly take up that new series of coins. Maybe you'll find the time to sell a few pieces and upgrade those current sets. Or maybe you'll just enjoy some extra time admiring the collections you've worked so hard to put together. Whatever your pursuits may be, hopefully this Winter you'll find a bit of leisure time to enjoy them.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the WINS Christmas Auction. It was another classic. A special thanks goes out to so many of you who donated coins to the auction with the proceeds going to the Club's Treasury. This is one of our major sources of funding, and it certainly helps to keep WINS independent and running smoothly.

Now ... can we have a hearty round of applause for JD White? He's the Miracle-Man who makes our auction work. And did you notice the decorations on the auction page - including the flashing Christmas lights? Way to go, JD!! I often wonder how he keeps up with a lengthy manual-auction format. But he's not only efficient with it, he runs it with class. Thanks a lot, JD!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish each of our members and their loved ones a happy, safe and blessed Holiday Season, and a prosperous New Year.

Best Regards,

Ralph J. Huntzinger
WINS President