Another Awesome Weekend!

 The weekend got off to a bit of an odd start Friday evening. The snow finally started about 2:30 and by the time I headed home the roads were covered with a wet slick snow. I got to watch some lady wipe out her SUV coming down a hill on 258. I am still not too sure how she managed that one. I got to our driveway and with the road being as slick as it was I knew I would not be able to carry as much speed as normal when I go up the driveway and it is ice covered. If I did I thought I would probably just wind up in the ditch on the north side of the driveway. So I approached the drive going slower hoping I would get lucky and find some exposed gravel to get some grip on going up the drive. I ran out of momentum about half way up and that was as far as I was going to make it. I came to a stop sitting at a bit of an angle in the drive. I put the parking brake on and headed to the garage to get my tire chains. I bought the chains several years back off of ebay in the middle of July for 20 bucks thinking I might need them someday. Looking back on it I should have probably put them on once to see how they went on before I actually needed them. I headed back down the drive only to look up and see my Tracker sliding back down the drive. Crap, can it get any better? It could not go far as the angle it was at put it in the ditch on the north side of the drive pretty quickly. Not that I was not stuck before, I am really stuck now. I went ahead and chained up hoping I might get lucky. After figuring out the first side I quickly got the other set on and gave it a go. To my amazement Trixie just crawled right up out of the ditch onto the ice covered drive and right on up the hill. Sweet! The chains were well worth the 20 bucks!!!
 Cindy and I enjoyed a quite evening at home in front of the fire listening to music. Bre had made us a big batch of homemade broccoli cheddar bacon soup for our V day dinner and it was delish! I will leave out all the details but lets just say we both agreed it was our best Valentines day ever!
 We woke up early Saturday morning and loaded up Pearl with our gear then picked Jerry and Amy before heading north to Strawtown park near Noblesville IN. We saw lot of cars that had issues in the slick conditions the night before along the way. None of us had ever been to Strawtown before so we were not sure what to expect. It was a very nice park with nice wide trails. Someone had skied the park before us so we were able to ski in their tracks and not work so hard breaking trail. At one area I got out onto the frozen west fork of the White River and skied on the snow covered ice. it was sweet as the ice had a couple inches of fresh snow. It was smooth and fast and I really liked it. On around the curve we found a redneck ski lift chair to stop and take a drink break at

The trail had several of these covered swings along it on the south side of the park. We saw a huge herd of deer running through the tall grass as we skied. It must have been two dozen or more deer in it. The weather was really nice with bright sunshine and you know who forgot his sunglasses! The air had a bite to it when we first started out but by the time we got about 3 miles into our ski we had to stop and shed a layer or two as the sun shining down really warmed us up.
 We made our way back to the road that separates the north and south sections of the park. We all saw a nice snow covered hill across the road just begging to be skied down. So across the road and over the fence we stepped, at least for Jerry and myself, the girls had to climb over LOL. The one thing about going down hills on xc skis is that at some point you have to get up it to go down it. They way you have to herringbone up a hill is one of the reasons it is such a great workout.

We all made several trips down the hill before we headed off to find the trails on the north side of the park. The north side is bordered by the river so getting lost would have been hard. The park had graded the snow on the walking trail so we could ski side by side on that part which is always nice. Someone had made tracks that went back into the wooded area along the river so we followed those back into the woods and along the river which was really a nice ski. It was not real fast skiing but fun weaving our way in and out of the trees. Amy saw a house that was overlooking the river and she was ready to move right in. She really liked the river view setting.  Too bad they were not able to come with us the next day as Cindy and I saw a house with a river view at Salamonie that was to die for!
 Falling down is just part of skiing. It happens to us all. Not really a matter of if but when. It usually happens to me when I am standing still on a slope and forget I am on skis. Before I know it they shoot out from under me and leave me on my back like a upside down turtle. On this ski it happened skiing around a large Sycamore tree. The trail had a odd slope towards the tree and I put my left pole down for support. The only problem was that the snow on my left was covering up a very deep hole and my pole just kept going down. I feel over into the snow like a tree falling in the woods. Fluffy snow floated up around me like something you would see in a dream. Needless to say everyone else went around the crash site to the high side and stayed away from the hidden hole.
 Almost out of the woods and back onto the walking path Cindy met her un planned demise into the snow. I swear you just never see it coming! That seemed  like a good time for another drink break!

                                                     Jerry is always ready for a photo op!

 It was not long before we were back at the car loading up. We had to admire our artwork on the snow covered hill as we headed out.

It had been several hours since breakfast so off we headed to Five Guys for burgers and fries. I guess we should have warned Jerry about the size of the burgers and fries there as he was not aware of how much they give you. While Cindy and I split a fry Jerry was a bit surprised to see how big his normal fry was. Not that it really mattered as he had no problems finishing them off LOL.
 We got back in time to feed our boys and play squeaker ball in the snow with Wilson before we got ready for part two of Saturday's adventures. Quick shower and off we went to meet the Bogers and Noelkers for a trip to Ertle winery for wine tasting and Valentines day dinner. The wine tasting was fun and dinner was really good. It was fun to see how much we had in common with Jim and Cecily. Turns out Cecily was a speed skater back in the day and she had stayed in a rustic cabins up in Canada before. They had xc skis they had not had out in years so we had lots to talk about. Hopefully we can get them back out on the snow soon.  Arriving back home Saturday night we both had a case of the long day, full tummy syndrome. I. e. we were both pretty tired. While Cindy said it took her a bit to go to sleep I would have measured it in mere minutes as she was asleep with her head on my chest in no time.
 I very gently woke Cindy up yesterday morning at 5:30 so we could head north to Salamonie State Forest. After talking with Jay and hearing about all the eagles I could not wait to see it for myself. We rolled into the area about 9 and as we drove across the dam all I saw to my left was frozen lake and a few ice fisherman. I hear Cindy go "Oh my gosh, LOOK!" Out the passenger side windows I saw open water and a large Sycamore tree with 7 eagles sitting in it looking back at us! We headed to the parking area and geared up then followed Jay's tracks around to the first area that paralleled the river, all be it 75 or more feet up above the water.

We had five or six eagles take flight as we approached. I bet we stood there 10 mins watching them fly up and down the river below us. It was sooooo cool! We headed on down the trails, thank you Jay, and came to another area that overlooked the river. More eagles taking off. We just looked at each other both wondering how many eagles are there here? We skied on further west down a nice hill that Jay had told me about. He just left out the part about the tree down across the trail at the bottom! Cindy almost got through the open area in the log before a stick caught her ski and dumped her. I was able to get stopped just short of her so all was good. Cindy was wishing she had wore her gaiters as this point.

We skied along on the low ground next to the river and found a place we could get out onto the edge of the water. I ditched my skies and worked my way down. Just as I turned back to let her know to follow me the ice shelf I was standing on broke and dropped me hard on my left side. I just raised my head up and told her not to go the way I did LOL. Once on the waters edge we just stood and watched more eagle fly over looking down at us. It was such a pretty place. It was about now Cindy apologized for being a lil grumpy about getting up so early. I swear there is an eagle looking back at us in the pic below, he is just hard to make out.

We had to take one of us looking upstream. The pics really do not do the park justice as it was so pretty there!

They say that when it comes to real estate it all boils down to location, location, location. Well, in our opinion, who ever owns this house definitely got it right! From their perch on top of the cliff they have front row seats to the airshow put on by the eagles everyday!!!

After taking some more pics we headed on down Jay's trail.

The trail lead up a frozen creek that ran down steep ravines into the river. We skied past a frozen water fall then had to step out of the skis and climb up a drain to the top of the hill to get back on the trail.

 

We skied on across the upper part of the creek and stopped to look down. I just love winter landscapes. Cindy saw a old rotted log that was spanning across the creek and wanted to scoot out on it and get her picture taken. I was thinking it might break if a small bird sat on it I discouraged her from trying it. So she looked up the creek and saw another log, a bit larger, and was like what about that one? So off she went. Here is where stupid took over my better judgment. Waiting on Cindy to get in position on the log I was fiddling with my camera strap. I took my gloves off. Mistake. To get a better pic I start walking up the snow cover rocks towards Cindy on the log. Just as I stop to take the shot, the ice shelf I am on breaks off, down I go, again. this time though I was holding my gloves by the cuffs, and in the process of bracing for the fall I filled the gloves with snow! Cindy is laughing, I am scrambling to my feet to keep from getting wet in the creek running under the ice. I tried my best to get all the snow out of my gloves but it was packed all the way to the fingertips in my right glove. I took her pic and got back to drier and safer terrain, after discouraging Cindy from just hopping off the log she was sitting on down onto the jagged ice covered rocks below her!!!!

 

It was then that I realized that with all the stuff I carry in my pack, spare gloves was not one of them. Argh!!! Luckily though, I remembered I had a thin pair in my jacket pockets so I at least had something to wear on my right hand. We skied on and worked our way back around to the overlook areas we visited first. This time we approached more quietly and had eagles and herons sitting in trees all around us. We sat down on our foam pads I cut to fit in our back packs (another great idea Jay) along the edge and had a cup of spiced wine while we watched the free airshow.

It was something neither one of us had ever seen the likes of. I love eagles so this was real treat for me. We finally got up and worked our way along the edge of the cliff. A lil too far to the left and it is 75+ feet straight down to the river!

As we got to the last turn I stopped along the edge and just watched, wanting to see one more eagle, then just one more, then one more. I really did not want to leave. Cindy could tell I was having a hard time make the turn south. She tried to make me feel better telling me we might get another snow yet this year. I know the melt is on the way. I can't stop it, yet it makes me sad to see the snow go. It has been a wonderful ski season for us. While we have not had much good skiable snow around home we had great trips north to play. Pokagon was just awesome. Fox island was fun and we got to ski with Jay again. France park is a real hidden gem of a park and they just don't come any nicer than Aaron. The Grubb ridge peninsula trail at Monroe is going to make us a great trail close to home if we can get some good snow on it. Strawtown was a fun easy ski, great to take first timers on. But as far as skiing and getting to enjoy nature all at the same time Salamonie jumped to the top of our list. The really great part is that  Cindy and I got to enjoy each trip together and I would not have wanted it any other way. We were back at the car way too soon and it was time to head out as we wanted to get back in Indy about the time Miles would be getting up from his nap so we could take him for a pulk ride at Fort Ben.
 After a quick stop by Wendys for eats and a antique mall in Markle for a camp blanket we were headed south to pick up Miles so we could take him out playing in the snow. Here is one of the things about Cindy that totally cracks me up. Neither of us had ever been to Salmaonie forest before but we basically skied out and back following Jay's tracks. We were one turn from the trail that headed back to the car and Cindy was lost(turned around in her words). She swore we should turn right instead of left after we had just come this way a few hours earlier. We turned left at my insistence, and went right back to the car. We get to Markle and I drop her off at a huge antique mall that we had stopped at 3 or 4 weeks ago on the way back from Pokagon. She wanted a camp blanket she had seen there. I am thinking this might take hours for her to find it so I run to get gas while she searched  for it. I pull back in and no sooner get out of the car and she is walking out the door to meet me. She had walked right to that blanket in a maze of booths that would given a rat a headache finding his way through! She walks right to it but was totally lost on a trail she had just been down a hour before. I had to laugh! We were back on 69 headed south and in no time you know who was laid back and snoozing.(Yes. I love taking pics of Cindy sleeping LOL)!

Since Cindy had walked right to the blanket we arrived early to pick up Miles who was still snoozing away during his afternoon map. We woke him up, probably not the best idea, and he was happy to see us. Off we headed to Fort Ben to take him on a pulk ride on the trails and then sledding on the sledding hill. He really enjoyed his last pulk ride but was not real thrilled with it this time so we switched gears and headed to the sledding hill. He seemed to enjoy watching the kids come down the hill on their sleds so we headed up to give it a go. Looking back on it a few minutes more to watch the kids come down the hill might have been a good idea as the hill turned out to be a bit on the ruff side. Although I did video our first trip down the hill we chose not to post it as Miles was not a real happy camper at the bottom of the hill. While Cindy and I were laughing hysterically on the way down, Miles failed to see the humor in it. I guess if I was two years old, in the front of a sled that was racing down a hill, jumping over bumps with snow flying up in my face and I just lost my hat and one snow boot I might not be too happy either! We put him all back together and luckily his frown turned around quickly and soon happy Miles was back ready to go again!

After a few calmer passes down a smaller hill and seeing Nanna sled down the big hill by herself, Miles was ready to tackle the Matterhorn again! As you can see from this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5-OxJvA8Y&list=HL1392665619&feature=mh_lolz he was really getting into it this time.  Soon Miles needed a snack and to warm up so back to Pearl we headed. We showed him the videos of him sledding on the way back and he was grinning ear to ear. Hopefully we have infected the lil bugger with our love of wintertime fun!!!

Winter Adventures!!!!

So one has to wonder, what do people who sail do when the snow flies and the lakes freeze over with ice? Well, we ski!!! Cindy and I love to cross country ski and we have infected two other couples with our snow addiction disease as well.
 Snow came early for us this year, December 6th, but who were we to complain as we loved it. The worst part was that it was a few hours late getting to us so most of the day we sat in fear that the weather man got the forecast wrong again. But it finally started snowing and by 3 that afternoon we were loading up Juicy with the skis and headed to refuge to meet the gang for our first ski of the 2013-14 ski season! Here is the gang, minus me, during our first ski

 

 It was not long before it was time to share our favorite adult winter beverages in the snow

 

 the snow just kept coming down that night and upon returning back to the Snow Lover's Lodge we got to go on our very first nighttime ski around the trails at Dottie's just across the road from us. The  snow conditions the next morning were great.

 

Dottie even got her new snow shoes out and played a bit before her knee started hurting and she had to turn back.

 

My daughter Breanna even got her skis out and skied with us Sunday evening right before dark.

 Cindy's grandson Miles got to come down the next weekend and spend the night and luckily we still had some snow left despite the warm up. We decided to go ahead and give him his Xmas gift from us early so he could play with them on the snow as we never know when it will go away. As you can see he took right to his new skis and we think he will be a natural!

 

Miles first time on snow/ice. We have to take whatever we can get when it comes to snow this far south!

 

 It was not long before Miles was making tracks, with a lil help from Nanna

 Just as soon as the snow came it was gone and we hit a snow drought. I am glad I chose to give Cindy her new skis for Xmas early on the 6th with the first snow as we never know if that is all the snow we will get here in southern IN or not. It seemed like forever but the snow finally fell again but the really good snow was just north of us about an hour. We tried, unsuccessfully to drive up to the Indy area to ski twice but due to horrible traffic delays we had to turn back. Not easily discouraged we plotted a course for a new destination of the Morgan Monroe state forest as they had plenty of snow. The trip there was beautiful, and blocked in several places due to downed trees but it sure was a pretty drive.

 Our favorite was the downed tree with the x painted on it to alert you of low clearance. Luckily the ski rack fit under the tree!

 We finally got to the park just before dark and we jumped out and got on our skis the first place we thought looked suitable. We got in a quick 2 mile ski before it got dark on us. Here is Cindy and Amy making tracks in 6" of wonderful snow!

 It has turned out to be a long and cold winter but most of the good snows have just missed us to the north. We have had snow cover but just not enough to really ski on. Nothing more depressing than to have snow but not enough to ski on, day after day. Miles got to come back down for a visit and of course we brought his skis back with him but we did not have enough snow to ski on. I had just finished my first pulk that we are going to use on our up coming trip to the UP of Michigan this December. We are going to ski into a rustic cabin on the shore of lake Superior and spend 3 days and two nights in the rustic cabin xc skiing during the day and snow shoeing in search of wolves and the Aurora Borealis at night. We, I, can't wait!!!! Sorry, getting ahead of myself. A pulk is a sled that attaches to a harness belt around your waist with solid fiberglass rods so you can not only pull it but also hold it back from running you over when you are going down hill. I thought Miles would be a good way to try it out for the first time. Well, Miles was a bit leary of the sled so Nanna wound up being in the sled with Miles for the first actual pull. Nothing like overloading the system right off the bat to see if it will fail!

 





 

 I did not get a pic of them both in the pulk behind me as I was a bit busy pulling them but the stitching I did on the belt and the whole attachment system held just fine. I doubt that we will ever have over 50 lbs in gear in the sled in Michigan but it is nice to know it will carry 3 times that much. After a couple laps around the drive Miles was hooked. So it was across the road to Dottie's to hike the trails. After pulling him up the drive the thought of sledding entered my mind. So I unhooked the tracer poles from the sled and let Miles and Nanna use it to sled down the drive.

 

Again, just enough snow to play in but not enough to ski. All was good though as everyone was having fun, especially Miles!

 After each trip down the drive Miles would just look up and Say "More!" Gotta love it!. After several trips down Nanna took Miles on a hike through the woods.

 The pulk worked great and Miles was really enjoying the ride.

 Just can't beat a good sled ride when you are not having to do any work and can ride along covered up with a blanket!
 We kept getting one inch snows but still  not enough to ski on close to home. Frustration was sitting in. We decided if we were going to get to do some good skiing we were going to have to go north. So after a quick check of snow up north we put together a trip up to Pokagon State Park in the northeast corner of Indiana. We decided to drive up the night before so we would hopefully miss the next snow storm coming at us and it turned out to be a really good idea as the roads were awful the next day but we awoke safely in our rooms and ready to hit the trails! After a quick stop by the breakfast buffet we were all on the trails making tracks!

 We ski kinda like how we kayak, we don't hit it really hard and we stop often for adult drink breaks. We stopped at the shelter house to warm up by the fire, roast some marshmallows, and let Bill cool off as he was about to melt down

 Like all ski trips Cindy and I have to get our pic taken so we have one for our photo album

 The trails at Pokagon were awesome, probably the best we had ever skied. The snow was deep and firm and they got new snow  both nights. The terrain was varied and while the hills were not super tall they were challenging with turns thrown in just to keep you working at it.

 We really wanted to do the toboggan run but it was really busy during the day and we were busy skiing so we planned on eating early then sledding that evening. As luck would have it the roads were still a mess and the county put a snow emergency order in effect and they were issuing 100 dollar tickets if you were on the roads. So they closed the toboggan run. Bummer. So Cindy and I tried out our new snow shoes in the dark. It was so peaceful walking through the dark wooded trails. We found a bench on the lake and sat for awhile listening to the snow fall down around us. We both enjoyed snowshoeing but skiing is much more fun.
 Sunday morning we awoke to a fresh 4 inches of snow and the roads still closed so we did not get to do the toboggan run again. It was 5 degrees out with a brisk wind making it feel much colder. After another visit to the breakfast buffet, compete with prime rib, Cindy and I headed out for the north side of the park. It was just beautiful with large flakes falling down on us through the pine trees. We skied all over the north side of the park before heading back in to check on the toboggan run status. Still closed, total bummer! We checked out and headed south for home. It was hard to leave such good snow behind but we had to get back. I so want to move north!!!
 It was just a few days before Libby emailed me asking if I had heard about the 30" of snow heading our way? What!!!! Holy smokes, that is a lot of snow! Well, it turned out to be a bit exaggerated but it still looked like we could get a good 10+ inches. It started snowing last Tuesday evening as I was bringing in firewood and in less than 2 hours we had a good 4" of new snow. I was almost over joyed!!! Then it happened. The warm air aloft moved up from the south and turned the beautiful snow that was falling from the sky into the ugliest darn sleet I had ever seen!!!! I about lost it!! I watched the radar till I feel asleep hoping the sleet would not move too far north. But as it turned out it made it all the way to Indianapolis by the next morning. After getting a somewhat incorrect snow report from the lake Monroe area and not knowing any better we set a time and met the gang at the Grubb Ridge Trail. They had snow but they also had a 1/2 to 3/4" of crusty ice on top of the snow. We tried our best to ski in it but it was really more like ice sliding. Talk about loud. With every stride the ice crust would break and then our poles were breaking through it at the same time. No hope of seeing any wildlife that day! We skied out about 3 miles and then headed back. I skied, slid, ahead of everyone and got a small fire going at a campsite so we could cook some lunch and warm up.

 It was a fun day but what I did not know or think about was how sharp the ice was were I was breaking through it. I discovered when we got back to the lodge that I had cut the sides of my new ski boots. Talk about a total bummer!
 The weekend came and with the snow covering all my target sites I needed to fly I had the weekend off. Wanting to make the most of it we headed north in search of skiable snow. Boy did we find it!
 I started Saturday off with breakfast in bed for Cindy and the boys. What better way to wake up than with homemade blueberry pancakes?

After breakfast we loaded up Pearl and picked Libby up on our way our of town. Quick stop by Starbucks and we were on our way north in search of snow. The destination for the day was Fox Island country park just south of Fort Wayne. The closer we got to the park the deeper the snow got along the side of the road so we knew we were going to have good snow to ski in. The park is really a neat little place with nice trails and gentle hills. It is neat to go to places were there are actually other crazy people out enjoying the snow too. We skied almost 8 miles there and found a really cool natural tree arbor that provided a Kodak moment for Cindy and Libby

Our friend Jay got to run down after his hockey game and ski a long lap with us. It was good to see him and were glad we finally got to hook up for a ski. We were not able to meet up during our Pokagon trip due to pesky travel advisories and closed roads. The snow started coming down pretty good about the time Jay arrived and we skied the last couple miles with snow stacking up on our heads and back packs. Nothing better than skiing through a quite woods while the snow falls down around you! Libby is really starting to get the hang of xc skiing and none of us crashed to the snow on this trip! It was not long before it was time to head for home and find some food to replace all those calories we burned! The whole way home we talked about where we could go the next day to ski. I hated to waste a day off from work with snow on the ground within driving distance and not ski somewhere. I stopped and checked snow depth and condition on the north side of Indy on the way home. While they had enough snow my fear was that since it had been several days since it had snow the walker would have tracked up the snow and with temps close to 30 with some sunshine forecasted for Indy that the snow would get soft and sticky quickly. We decided to head further north in search of better snow conditions.
 The alarm started buzzing at 5 am yesterday morning. Ugh, where did the night go? A quick check of radar perked me up though as north central Indiana was getting more snow!!! I very gently woke Cindy up with a cup of coffee loaded with carmel and butterscotch schnapps and it was not long before we were loaded up again and  heading north. Destination for the day was France Park just west of Logasnport Indiana. The snow started falling just south of Indy and we drove in snow the rest of the way there. It was a beautiful drive and luckily it was still early enough that there were not many people out on the roads and we made good time despite the snow piling up on the roads. Pearl is a real joy to drive in conditions like that with her all wheel drive. By the time we got off of 31 onto 24 there was maybe 2-3 inches of fresh snow on the roads.

 There was snow everywhere and it was a winter wonderland. We were loving it!!! A quick stop at the local McDonalds to ask directions to the park and we were almost there. Just a few miles from the park Aaron, a online friend from the xc ski website called, and was going to be able to meet us at the park and show us the trails. That was great news as the reviews of the park said it was very nice but really lacking in trail signage and their maps sucked. Aaron arrived just as I was helping Cindy up as she had tried to run me over from behind skiing down the lane. He assured Cindy he saw nothing so all was good. We were so glad Aaron was able to join us as we would have missed so much of the park had we been on our own. Aaron took us a on a wonderful guided tour all over the park and what a hidden gem it is. We headed off first to the cliff that overlooks the quarry lake that the zipline, not open in the winter, goes over. Had  to stop and take a few pics

                                                           My beautiful lil eskimo

                                                       Our wonderful tour guide Aaron.

No ski report is come complete without a pic of myself with my beautiful lil eskimo!
 It is a little hard to tell in the picture but we are actually up about 60 feet or so above the frozen lake on a rocky cliff. We all commented on how there was no safety rail but we guessed being a county park there was not the budget for it. Of course we all had ski right up to the edge to look over and see how far down it was LOL.  The snow conditions were awesome with 14-15" of snow with the 3" of powder they had just gotten. I was so glad I had brought my leg gaiters as I was just wearing running pants and they do not have elastic cuffs at the bottom to keep snow out.
 Aaron lead us down the back side towards the low ground along the Wabash river where we could see the rock walls that the river carved out long ago. Then we headed to the marsh lands on the west side of the park and then through the camping areas to a frozen waterfall that still had water running under it's frozen cover

We continued our ski around another lake back down to the Wabash where we saw a bald eagle flying over the river. Had to stop and share a warm cup of spiced wine before we headed back to the parking area. On the way back Aaron got a call from the lil Misses. He was running late as they had a get together to go to. I heard him tell her to go on and he would meet them there followed by his wife saying, rather loudly, "You took my car!". Oops, we just meet Aaron and we have already got him in trouble. Our job was complete LOL! It was not long and we were back to our cars. A little over 7 miles of skiing with powder stacking up in front of our feet the whole time. It was a workout but a very beautiful one and well worth the drive. Aaron told us of a good Mexican restaurant we would go right past on our way out of town so after saying our goodbyes off we went in search of food and drinks. With our bellies full we headed south for home. It was not long before Cindy had gotten all covered up with her seat heater on high and she was out. I swear I could see steam rising up around her head she was so toasty warm under the blanket  and her jacket!

 I guess Cindy  was a little wore out after driving almost 600 miles and skiing a little over 15 miles the past two days. I was really saddened to see the weekend come to and end. I really think if we ever win the lottery we would play somewhere, every season, everyday!
 Lakes are still frozen, so when is the next snow storm due to arrive????