Dear Winter,
Thank you for all of your beauty and snowy splendor. Thank you for all of the recreational fun that you have afforded us. I really appreciate all that you have done. Truly, I do!
But, I think I’ve had enough fun. Five months of wintry enjoyment is more than I could think to ask. Enough, already! You have been more than generous. So, I think it’s best that you move along, now. I don’t want you to go straining yourself by trying to stick around any longer. We’ll get along just fine without you for awhile. Save your strength for next year’s snow squalls, okay? It’s been real.
Go on now! Shoo!
Don’t let the door hit ya where the good…you get the idea. (My apologies. That was a Grandpa-ism. Those weren’t always fit for polite company.)
Until next year,
Kirsten
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Each year our little our little ski area holds a farewell to the season in the form of the Slush Cup. Part of a ski run is dug out and flooded, and entrants race down the course, and try to make it across the pond without getting completely submerged.
Son #1 gave it his best shot last year. Notice that he is soaked and walking out of the pond without his skis. The kind folks running the event fished his skis out for him.
Here’s a little useless trivia for you: How long does it take sodden ski boots to dry out? Answer: about 3 months.
This year, since Son#1 was just getting over the flu, I didn’t think it was wise for him to ski in the cold only to get inevitably soaked. Sometimes I have moments of wisdom. Of course, we still went to watch the Slush Cup this year.
The first thing we noticed is that they changed the course. The pond (on the right) was significantly more shallow, and new this year was a jump (on the left) with another pond. How cool is that? Did I mention that contestants are encouraged to dress in costume?
The little rasta-cheerleader-skier-dude got enough air to do a little trick. A couple of guys were able to land front and back flips. Of course, I was too enamored with their mad skills to have remembered to snap a photo.
And the pig-snowboarder made it look easy. I’m not being impolite–he was dressed as a pig.
A grind bar separated the two ponds. I kept waiting for someone to fall off into the lower pond, but no such luck they all held their own.
The shallower pond made it pretty easy for everyone to get across the lower pond. This little snowboarder was confidently trying to direct the waves toward the crowd.
Some had great form…
…only to wreck on the landing.
This guy almost made it across before the front tips of his skis caught the edge of the jump and sent him swimming.
Being that it was only 33 degrees (F) outside, he scrambled out of the icy water fairly quickly.
Which is why these two characters diving in wearing only swim trunks was so unexpected. The official cameraman in the black jacket didn’t see them coming, and was walking away from his previous shot.
The cheering crowd alerted Mr. Cameraman to the show. Apparently, their other amigo didn’t want to be left out of the fun, and sprinted to catch up. He must masterminded the whole operation because he kept a shirt on. Smart! S-M-R-T.
My favorite part was the makeshift water slide. Hilarious!
Believe me when I tell you that those boys raced out of the water to put on their parkas. As my Grandpa would say, “They were shivering like a dog sh crappin’…” Whoops. That one’s not so fit for polite company either. One of these days I’ll do a post will some of my Grandpa’s favorite sayings. As soon as I figure out which ones are fit to print. Grandpa could be a colorful man. 🙂
Dear Winter,
Are you still here? I see that you are taking on a leisurely pace on your way out of town. The Slush Cup signals the end of winter around these parts, and it has come and gone. So should you. Perhaps you could pick up the pace to enjoy your seasonal respite?
Be gone, already! Take care.
Kirsten
P.S. I really mean it this time.
P.S. Thanks for the laughs.
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