Winter wonderland starts now

Inter Lake editorial

A week of winter weather has changed everything on the local skiing and snowboarding scene.

It was a week ago, remember, when Big Mountain had to postpone its planned Thanksgiving Day opener. At that time, there was a meager eight inches of snow on the summit.

Fast-forward a week - after ample snow and enough cold to keep the snow there - and Big Mountain boasts three feet of the white stuff on top.

That means the Whitefish resort will open on Friday for a shakedown day (official opening day is Saturday).

And Blacktail Mountain, our other Flathead ski area, is planning to open a week later on Dec. 8. Plus Turner Mountain near Libby will open for skiing on Dec. 15.

For winter recreation fans, the fun is just beginning.

The magic of Tinkerbell in Kalispell isn't pixie dust, but a nose for a little girl's health.

Tinkerbell is the poodle and guardian of 9-year-old Taylor Diehl, who was diagnosed a year ago with diabetes.

While Taylor learned how to manage her disease, her mother, Kim Diehl, noticed that Tinkerbell became a furry little alarm system whenever Taylor's blood sugar dropped too low.

Tinkerbell, bonded tightly to Taylor since birth, paws and licks when Taylor's blood sugar level enters the danger zone. The dog will even awake Taylor's mother if that happens while Taylor sleeps.

Taylor sometimes takes her toy poodle with her when she's out shopping. The little pooch doesn't look like a traditional service dog to casual observers, but to the Diehls, she's a real hero.

Orphans and refugee children in India and Uganda don't have much, but some will have something from Kalispell students to call their own.

Five local teachers and their students are participating in a project called Books of Hope Uganda.

Students write and illustrate story books that are sent to the young victims of Uganda's 20-year civil war.

The young authors recently test-drove their creations on young students at Stillwater Christian School.

Besides shipping off their books to children, the students are also raising money to help children through UNICEF'S Global Child Protection Fund.

It is all an exercise in creativity and kindness - not at all a bad education goal for teenagers in today's world.