skiing

I have a friend who has two kids and a handful of grandkids. Some live in Wisconsin, the rest in Hawaii. The whole family likes to ski and so once a year they meet up at some midpoint destination (Utah for example) for a few days of skiing. I asked her recently -- how are the grandkids at skiing? She said -- well, the Wisconsin kids are great. The Hawaii one? What can I say, he lives in Hawaii and skis only once a year.

I thought immediately that Snowdrop is heading in that direction. Twice now I've taken her skiing, with a year's break in between. Oh, she's making progress alright. At a snail's pace.

For those of you who don't know Wisconsin's topography -- we do have hills of a reasonable (if perhaps modest) size. And we have skiing facilities. Limited, but running the range, from green to black trails. What Snowdrop and her family do not have is time. And motivation: since her parents do not ski, it's not a family activity, and so the idea of skiing gets pushed to the side. You might ask -- why doesn't at least her mom ski -- after all, that's my daughter we're talking about. Well, I did take her skiing a few times, and she went with groups of friends as well, but it's an expensive sport and my then husband was not a winter sports guy, so it never caught on.

After Snowdrop's days with Matthieu in Saint Martin de Belleville, I decided I need to take on this project at home: get the girl on skis at least a couple of times here, in Wisconsin.

Then came the weather issues. That we have no snow is not necessarily an impediment. Snow making machines are standard on ski slopes. But honestly, it's been too cold! And I have just one day in the week when she is with me without Sparrow (who believe me, is not a champion of winter sports). To say nothing of her other evening activities -- ballet, violin, Shakespeare. Where's the free time exactly? All good intentions slipped away.

Until today.

I don't care that it's still, well, kind of cold. (High of 21F/-6C) She has a clean day. No activities. Sparrow is not with us today. It's now or never.

 

The day begins slowly. I'm thinking about, reading about people and cats. Let's first consider the easier of the two: cats.

When I head out to feed the animals, I see that the chickens are out of their barn shelter. They're not happy with the cold, but I suppose the slight upswing in temps is a good motivator to start roaming. Even though it can be a painful trek through the snow and icy paths.

The cats are more adept at navigating winter terrain. And they do navigate it: they're all out this morning. And they're primed for confrontation. Tuxie, the sweetest little girl from the sheep shed, is nearly always a target: she has been chased and clobbered by nearly all of them. Why? This gentle spirit deserves a cuddle not a clobber.

I talk abou the cat squabbles over breakfast.

Ed shrugs. It's cat dynamics: one minute they chase each other and get into a brawl, the next they're rubbing cheeks. 

I've never seen Tuxie chase anyone. She's always the one who is bullied by the rest! Lately she has been trying to come to the farmhouse porch, closer to where we hang out -- always to be snarled at and chased out by the others.

Ed is nonplussed. It's just cats.

I know it's just cats! It's an aspect of cat behavior I dont happen to like. And because every negative comparison comes down to a reference to Hitler, I add -- it's just people behind the Nazi party, but I don't have to like or even tolerate the fact that there are Nazi supporters in this world.

Which of course brings me to Elon Musk, who does support the far right party in Germany. And don't tell me they are not Nazis -- if you do, I'll ask you to listen to this very smart and at the same time very funny 8 minute video, with a gifted link from me -- here. 

Did you watch it? I of course belong to that post war generation that grappled with how to talk about World War II and the Holocaust. It's interesting that in the video clip, we learn that Germany took on the burden of its past in a round the clock fashion. 24/7. I honestly did not feel that presence of its recent history the few times I visited Berlin. (I even wrote about this on Ocean.) I thought it had moved on much more than my own country had. The slogan oft repeated in the video -- "Never Again" -- was in fact plastered all over my classroom walls. In Polish. It was the only classroom decoration. We did not put aside our memories of the war, albeit we were selective in the way we remembered it. We left out details.

Can you see how it rattles a postwar Polish born person, to see Musk giving a Nazi salute, or to hear Vance admonishing the German nation for hesitating to give fascists a seat at the table? To hear that Russian aggression on Ukrainian soil was somehow the fault of the Ukrainians? Where were you two in the 1940s and 1950s anyway? Oh, I see. Not born yet. Birthdays in the 1970s and 1980s. You naive, insensitive fools. (And that's being kind.)

 

The sun is out. I pack up some foods to nourish a hungry Snowdrop and I drive over to pick her up after school. From there, we are off to Tyrol Basin. Just 29 minutes from her school!

This is a hill for Madisonians who want to keep up their ski habit. I signed Snowdrop up for a lesson and by 3:30-ish, she is on the slopes.

(one long magic carpet...)

 

 (down an empty slope)

 

I suppose I could have skied as well, but it really is a bit nippy out there and a ride up on a chair lift is not my idea of fun right now. Even though it is completely empty. I'd have the hills virtually to myself. Still, I'm not committed to going back to the sport. It's risky. I'm not sure it's worth it. I dont need a second busted knee, or a broken rib from a hellishly out of control snowboarder. So I wait inside. 

 

(dusk on the slopes)

 

(done and happy!)

 

 

I ask her on the drive home how her lesson here compares to the ones in France. (From my own observations, it looked like her instructor today pushed her less, though definitely paying attention to technique. Both French guys were all about having her do more, shrugging off her hesitation.)

She tells me all were fine, but Matthieu from Saint Martin de Belleville, was her favorite. So funny and playful! We had snowball fights! 

We drive home after sunset. The landscape west of Madison is gently hilly and the snow cover from last week's snowfalls looks absolutely lovely in the fading light. Even Snowdrop is enchanted!

 

At home I come back to my now defrosted fish. The cats lick their chomps in delighted anticipation. They're on their best behavior. Manipulative felines! Ah well, you were all feral once. I suppose it stays with you, even when you're in a warm house, with comfy cushions and dishes piled with salmon skins!

with love...