Neffland

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  So every day you'll get my sick, twister, mind in rhyming style.  Aren't you excited?

If I could travel out of my mind,
I'd go to a place where snow I could find
I'd jump over a mogul in the air,
Skittle down a run without a care.
And at the very bottom is what I hope.
Exists a terrain park, not a slope
there is such a place if you can plan.
A funny little place called Neff land.
Full of snow, tricks, boxes and rails,
Watching each kid as they sail.
Me?  I watch and swish down the side,
Knowing that it's only my kids that will ride.
As I exit I wonder, was that really a place?
Or something simply in my grey space?

Weary....

What a great day on the mountain.

This is our morning run - ahead is an historic abandoned silver mine.

With the lift next to us that takes us to the summit.

Snow was great, lots of fresh trax for the morning.

It was hard work, but so much fun

Finally on the long runs back to the middle of town and our condo.

So excited we get to do it again.

Clouds

I love these clouds, 

glad I got my camera out in time to get this picture.

We could tell some stories about these, now couldn't we?

Winding down ski season

One weekend left.

Not sure how I'll grieve this year.

Beech Mountain

Beautiful trees with snow on the limbs

Makes everything look so clean

So pure

So crisp.

Made it to the mountains with ONLY 4 boys this time.

Could mean less wine for me.

Good Friends - Bluebird Day

Great day on the mountain

There's nothing better than sharing it with friends.

Watching them hit their groove,

Watching them laugh when you bust it.

You probably get sick of looking at the pictures,

I am not sick of taking them.

Here comes the sun

You may already know, that I love the snow.

I'd taken being cold to sweating anytime.

It's been snowing all day, we've been out all day.

Skiing and enjoying time in the North Carolina mountains.

Hanging out with friends.

So this picture sums up how I am feeling.

Glorious.

Big Air Competition

The hardest thing to watch as a mother.

Your child races down the hill, to hit the jump.

They are airborne, then either land the jump

Or they crash and burn.  

Your heart races as they crash.

You watch them sit there for a few minutes.

Holding your breath.

Slowly letting it out as they

Jump back up, ride to the lift

To go do it again.

Can't get sick of it

Another snow picture.

Are you sick of it yet?

Because I'm not at all.

I can spend every day on the snow.

Is it because it is fun to ski?

Or the hanging with our friends on the slops?

Or the apres ski?

I won't tell you which one I like more,

Because most already know.

I'm just going to enjoy.

Squirrel Cage!

We're traveling to Maryland for a ski vacation to Wisp Four Season Resort.

Here's the view from the top of my favorite run of the day - Squirrel Cage.

The steep part of is caused a few sphincter dilations but it was fast and fun.

I spent the rest of the day laughing at another skier.

He came out at the top of Main Street, wrecked at the top of the hill.

Picked his hat up and put it in his mouth then turned,

and did what we call the Bullet

Straight down the hill, no turns, no stopping.

Even when he hit the bottom, skidded past the lift, under the netting

and into the street - stopping a car.

Amazing, the guy crawled back up to the lift,

Got on and went to do it AGAIN.

We never saw him the rest of that day - hope he's OK.

Only in North Carolina

Only in North Carolina can you have a Carolina blue sky

January temperatures hitting 65 degrees

But be standing on the top of a mountain

In a T-shirt

With skis on your feet

Getting ready to go as fast as you can

To the bottom.

Many wait for the perfect time to hit the slopes.

The snow must be powder, the temperature just right

Their outfit matching

But in our household we always say,

Any day on the snow is a great day!

Holy Sh*t - I don't know what to do!

20 or more years of skiing, 3 years of snowboarding and here we go again.

I, like a fool, strap on the skis, jump on the lift and go to the top of the mountain.

I jump off the edge and my first thought is, "Holy shit, I don't know what to do."

I take a deep breath, ride it slowly and then hit my first turn.

Like running a bike, I make a few turns and they get easier and easier.

It comes back to me, and I think, "Wow, this is actually fun!"

Isn't this what life is all about?

Standing on the edge of a cliff, thinking, "Holy shit, I don't know what to do?"

Then taking a deep breath and going?

Because once you make that first turn, it feels awkward but

the second one gets easier

and easier

and easier

until you realize that you are actually having fun!

So find that thing that's been gathering dust in your garage, closet, drawer, basement and get out there and get your heart pumping a little faster.

What have you been avoiding?