Rejoice, Betsteroids. Our four long bad months of winter have ended. You swamp rats might not have noticed it, but the hillbillies up on the Ridge woke up to snow this week. OK, a light dusting. Well, maybe a few flakes. On the mountains across the bay, this counts as the real stuff — termination dust, you betcha.

So get out your studded tires, your winter boots, your SAD lights and your ice scrapers. Take out a loan and fill up your fuel tank. Wax those skis and tune-up the old snogo. Put on another comforter and snuggle up to your honey, because the nights are cold.

What? You say winter hasn’t come? That wasn’t snow but the last big bloom of fireweed fluff? Uh-huh. Keep wearing shorts and sandals. It’s true, you do need to wear sunglasses at night what with all that glare from the snow.

Whistle in the dark. Why not? It might be possible to delude ourselves that real winter hasn’t come. Ya might be right. When you head to work some morning in the near future spinning your bald summer tires, hey, don’t say the Betster didn’t warn you.

Get ready. After you’ve made all those preparations — you know the drill — hey, why not celebrate with a few of these Best Bets?

BEST BEAR STORY BET: Nick Jans just did a talk on his book about Timothy Treadwell, and now this week “Grizzly Man” opens at the Homer Theatre. The 8:30 p.m. showing Friday benefits Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park, with a bear safety presentation before the show.

BEST THOSE WACKY ARTISTS BET: Did you get run over by someone clutching a gold lame cocktail dress at last week’s Sally Ann sale? Maybe a guy waving a powder blue tux? Don’t fret: It was probably someone shopping for Puttin’ on the Ritz, the Pratt Museum’s big fancy dress up do. The Ritz isn’t until November, but the art show goes up Friday. You can check it out from 5:30-7 p.m., one of the way cool openings for First Friday.

BEST DUCK AND STAMP BET: It sounds like one of those funky new dances, doesn’t it? We’re talkin’ Duck Stamp Art, though, the wildlife paintings that find a home on hunter’s wildfowl licenses. “A Decade of Duck Stamp Art” opens Friday at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Mark your calendars for Oct. 20, when a reception is held.

BEST REMEMBER ALICE BET: Alice Witte knew how to get her girls psyched up. “Play like crazy!” she’d tell ’em. Her memory lives on with the annual Play Like Crazy Tournament, a fund-raiser for Homer High School volleyball, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the high school.

BEST WHAT WE DID FOR OUR SUMMER VACATION BET: Homer High School students Lindsay Olsen and Thorey Munro did more than go to camp last summer. They helped build a trail — in Russia. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, they talk and show slides about their work on the Great Baikal Trail Project at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center.