WINTER

“I’m YOUNGER each year

at the FIRST SNOW,

when I SEE it,

SUDDENLY, in the air,

ALL LITTLE and white and moving;

Then IAM IN LOVE again

and VERY YOUNG

and BELIEVE everything.”

ANNE SEXTON

I was ramaging through a new antique store in the harbor about a month ago and came across this poem written on a greeting card. I was drawn to it like fruit flies to red wine. I read it and re read it. The poem so eloquently portrays exactly how I feel during the first snow at our cabin. I feel like a kid again jumping around, catching snowflakes on the tip of my tongue, flying leaps into the air from the high porch and landing into the soft fresh powdery snow, making snow angels, snowmen, snow forts, snowball fights,snow mobiling, snowshoeing, making snow cones but— my favorite thing to do is go SLEDDING! I love the adrenaline rush as I fly through the 80 ft trail, laughing all the way as I zip around corners, dodge the prickly brush and manuver away from the dangerous trenches. My trip is successful when I come to a stop just at the edge of the icy river bank. “what a blast!”

After many hours of playing in the snow, the kids this includes me & Grandma peel off the layers of clothing: mittens, hat, scraf and hang them by the wood stove to dry. (Craig hung up his jacket a little to close to the stove and the sleeve just about melted off.) The cabin is warm and “cabin cozy”. We make cups of steaming hot chocolate with heapings of little marshmellows. We congregate around the glow of the wood stove. We plan out our next adventure. Kev wants me to take snow boarding lessons. It is only $99 for three lessons and all equipment is supplied. I have only skied once in my life but I must say it was the most exciting thing I had ever done. Snowboarding is different! I heard expert skiiers have a hard time with snowboarding. I also heard you either can do it or can’t do it there is no gray area.

Kev and I walked up to snoqualmie summit ski resort and viewed the snowboarders in the half pike. I wittnessed 5 year olds glide down the hill with ease, if they can do it –so can I. I watched how people hobbled to the chair lift. You have to take one shoe out of the binding in order to get on the chair. This is where I will screw up and embarress myself. The chair lift operator will have to stop the chair run because I’m precariously flailng, slipping and sputtering during my attempt of getting my ass on the chair.

I’m sitting here today thinking about snowbaording. I have visions of myslef on the slope with my girlie snowboard and cutsie hat. I could pretend I’m in highschool and hang out with all the snowboarders–oh that wouldn’t work because they wouldn’t be able to join me in the bar for hot butter rum.