EARLY WINTER CONT'D.

The day started out beautiful. I actually broke out the old touring skis for the first time in at least six years, and skied around our place. The snow was incredibly powdery. It was light as finely sifted flour. At some points my skis were about three inches under the snow, but that's okay as a few times I was a little under the snow too. After not skiing in so long, it was, to say the least, awkward. I felt like a duck just learning to use it's feet for walking.

My dogs had never seen me ski before. Mahkwi was quite amused. For awhile she kept trying to catch the tips of my skis as they moved through the snow. Notice I didn't say unerringly through snow? She was trying to pounce on them, and grab them with her mouth; all the while wagging her tail. I laughed so hard. It was a good excuse to stop every few strides and re-orient myself.

I had fun despite how long it has been since I skied. Well, except for periodically having a hidden bunch of my old friend spotted knapweed, or clumps of grass, grabbing a ski stopping it cold, or twisting it under me. Well, that and the odd hole my ski poles found every now and then. It's an interesting sensation; planting a ski pole, expecting it to dig in at a certain point, and it doesn't happen until about a foot deeper. Especially when the other one digs in about where you expected it to. The other fun part was how that fine powder stuck to my skis like wet flour. Of course, it was only one ski at a time which allowed me to ski in circles if I had that whim – which I did not.

After skiing I shoveled a little snow off the deck and front walk, knocked icicles and snow off the eaves, and called it a day. Then about 4:30 p.m. the sun went away. Actually, it's more like it fled for it's life. This is what chased it away.




All for now. Just didn't want you to miss out on any of the fun.