Waxing Skis

The storm blew in late last night and by the morning knee-deep snow blankets the landscape. It’s beautiful, but the wind is wicked. Shoveling out the driveway, I pull my Stetson down over my eyes and lean into the wind as I dig away. The dog loves it, running and jumping in the snow. He runs and then buries his head in the snow and with his nose, kicks up snow and snaps at it as if he’s catching it in his mouth. To be so easily amused! As soon as the wind dies, it will be great skiing. It’s cold so the snow is light. If only there were mountains… But with a full moon a few days away, they’ll be a opportunity for a moonlight ski through the barren hardwood forests behind my home. Perhaps I’ll take the high ground above the frozen lakes or maybe I’ll ski along the abandoned railroad right-a-way that parallels the river. Will the dog remember that he needs to stay behind me. Walking and running, he gets out in front, but that’s not a good position when I’m skiing, as he has to relearn every year. He likes to stop frequently and clean the snow from his paws, which is dangerous for he seems to want to stop right in front of me on a downhill run.

After cleaning my driveway, I head over to the gym to swim. There's no problem getting a lane, only a handful of people are out. I’m informed they’re closing early today, due to the storm. So instead of swimming a mile and then relaxing in the hot-tub, I stopped at ¾ of a mile. Afterwards, I head downtown and now sit in Rich’s, the smoky coffee shop that most of my friends abhor. As a non-smoker, the smoke annoying, but I like the people here, the food is cheap and the coffee is hot and they never let your cup go dry. After an active morning, I long to indulge myself with some greasy hashbrowns, poached eggs with plenty of hot sauce, and rye toast. Of course, the real attractions here are the young waitresses. They’re cute and it’s fun to watch them bounce from table to table, flirting and bringing smiles to men old enough to be their granddads. Today, because of the storm, it’s not very busy. Several waitresses were unable to make it in, but that’s okay ‘cause the place which is usually hopping on a Saturday morning, with blue smoke lingering at the ceiling, is now almost empty and the air fairly clean. Talk is all about the snow.