Bushel And A Peck

"Oh you can't keep a good dog down! No sir, no you just can't keep a good dog down, Oh no! " (some illegible mumbling then) "Oh I'll still be causing a ruckus when I'm old! So look out when you hear this sound, Oh you-Can't-Keep a-Good-Dog DOOOOWWWWNNN!"............. This being Grace's melodious serenade blended with a healthy dose of bubbles and occasional gurgles emerging from the bathtub this morning. Evidence, with any luck, of our improving health, and, coupled with the amazing weather, encouragement that the four of us may in fact, make it to pasture.

We're all stepping light and carrying smiles this morning, as we share minor symptoms of whiplash and sore muscles, a side consequence to our rejuvenation. A large group of Jamie's family were going Down Hill Skiing yesterday as part of the March Break, this is something we've never done before and until very recently, only gave it a brief "that looks like fun, and like I may break my neck" kind of thought. So yesterday morning Jamie surprised us by announcing that we were going skiing with the rest, this in itself came as an exciting shocker, but more so impressive was the fact that he sneaked out before we all got up and started the barn work early and so was ready to go by 11:00am. As I regained composure following the surprise announcement I hustled to ready everyone before the man regained his sanity, and realised to some embarrassment that the only one of us who possessed any attire even remotely appropriate for the occasion, was Grace, who was at this point, running around in circles and vibrating with excitement. So after some deep mining through dark closet corners I managed to scrounge myself a pair of wind pants straight out of the early '90's and which were obviously built for a much taller person then I, as I could have forgone my jacket and pulled the waist band up to my neck. After Jamie, who could find only coveralls stained in all shades a cow has to offer, donned his best pair of Blue Jeans and his favourite John Deere sweater we hit the trail for the unknown, only knowing that while we would not necessarily be trendy on the slopes, we would certainly leave an impression, of some sort.

HERE WE ARE!!

GRACE'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT SKIING TO THE LIFT

Upon our arrival we somehow blundered through the formalities of our first ever Down Hill Ski rental and clad in our Space Man Ski Boots lumbered like rusty robots up the ski lodge's stairs to get ready to hit the slopes. It was our intention that Jamie and I would take turns keeping Bethany at the base of the hill in her sled while the other skied, or made attempts at it. As it turned out however, there were so many family and friends on hand that she was immediately scooped up and well cared for the entire day, while Jamie, I and Grace headed, with great trepidation, for the bunny hill.

The Bunny Hill, just the name initiates warm and fuzzy images of breezing effortlessly down the hill to land delicately in a mound of puffy powdery snow. Still, as the three of us moved together in a tight packed cluster of grimacing moral support, as we watched three year olds playing the Bunny Hill stigma to the fullest while the adults were dropping like flies, I had the sudden gripping realisation that it may in fact be the "Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom" and I may be it's next victim. Then I saw the "Carpet Lift", a genius apparatus and apparently a new addition to the Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom, intended to make the ascent much easier then the previous type of lift. In theory, it looked easy, the three year olds were completely unfazed as they skied unconcerned onto the belt and enjoyed the easy ride to the top. Apparently three year olds are not micro managers, I am a micro manager, and after Jamie and Grace made it quite easily onto the lift I just couldn't let the belt carry me up and tried to ski onto it, I pitched violently and almost toppled then made a mental note to just let the belt do the work. Then we had to off load, and as Grace and I lay in a heap at the top and I watched Jamie seamlessly whizz to the bottom of the hill ahead of us, I couldn't help but be touched by the Lift Operators kind gesture of shutting the lift down and making everyone wait while Grace and I untangled and sort of army crawled to the sidelines to regroup. Thankfully Jamie's much more ski savvy Aunt Angela and Uncle David came to our rescue and helped Grace and I to the top of the slope. My first trip went quite well, while after so much excitement and anticipation Grace decided to quit on her first fall. After we motivated her through 5 more falls we made it to the bottom and I couldn't help but entertain the notion that I had beaten the Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom.

THE CARPET LIFT!

This time Grace and I made it on unscathed onto the Carpet Lift and watched Jamie yet again go Whizzing down effortlessly. As Angela and I prepared to help Grace with our second run Jamie arrived at the top carrying all of his gear and looking rather sheepish, it seems he was distracted by someone "he thought he knew" as he was getting on the lift. While greeting this "someone", he managed to place only one ski on the lift while the other caught the far side of the safety pole, finally, as he straddled precariously and tried to hoist himself back onto the lift, his skis unlatched and proceeded up the lift ahead of him as he landed on the ground in a heap beside it. After we giggled a little too much at him we started down again with Grace, who had taken to playing possum when she fell and moaning and wailing as though she were being tortured. After each fall she would give up and call it quits, and as I was giving her the "I paid good money for this torture, so put a smile on your face and pretend that your loving it", Aunt Angela again came to our rescue and more or less carried Grace by the arm down the hill on her skis. I on the other hand careened wildly down the Bunny Hill, and in attempting to slow myself down spiraled headlong into the snow beside Grace, who laughed hysterically while I deciphered whether or not I'd just peed myself. From there on Grace beat the system by enlisting the help of Jamie's Aunt and Uncle, who possessed the patience of Job with her and helped her with every run. At the end of the day the sense of accomplishment they helped her experience was worth all the wailing and moaning and we were very proud of her for keeping on trying.

FIRST TIMERS LUCK

AUNT ANGELA AND JAMIE HELPING GRACE

After a couple of successful runs on the Bunny Hill we were heading onto the Carpet Lift again when I hear Grace let go with a blood curdling screech, as I raced to see what had happened I arrived in time to see her lying face down, backwards on the lift, one ski and both poles at the bottom, her writhing and gesticulating like a swimmer in distress, and of course, in typical Grace fashion, wailing and screaming. Jamie's Aunt to the rescue yet again, she managed to walk, on her skis up the lift to where Grace was blowing a gasket and tell her to stop screaming and stand up. Once I realised that she was not being dismembered and had only fallen onto the lift, I couldn't help but laugh, somewhat hysterically, both because I was glad she was ok, and the shear image of her flapping like a beached whale on the belt put me over the edge. This did not bode well with poor Grace who told me it was not at all funny, allowed me to help her back into her gear and then grabbed onto her escort and skied to the bottom. I later found out that she managed a repeat performance while she and Jamie were going up the lift and I was in the Lodge with Bethany.

The conditions were terrible with the warm temperatures and it was a sea of slushy water at the bottom of the hill, on more then one occasion someone would fall with a great splash and come up sopping wet. Angela and David convinced Jamie and me to tackle a couple of the more challenging slopes while they assisted Grace, so we took advantage and headed up "The Big Chair Lift". I admittedly was a bit unnerved by trying to race through the slush and be in the exact right position at the exact right time to be scooped up by the chair, I never seemed to land in just the right spot so that the lap bar didn't come down and pinch my leg. At the top, anticipating the dismount, I managed to cause yet another pile up when I flopped face first off the Chair Lift and lost my ski. Once again, the Lift Operator was kind enough to stop the lift, retrieve my ski and we continued down the hill. On a couple of occasions both Jamie and I wiped out and lost our equipment at which point, some good Samaritan always seemed willing to lend us a hand in picking ourselves back up since neither Jamie or I could stop fast enough to help the other, and could only continue on laughing at both the sight and from our exhilaration.

At the end of the day, I think we all chalked it up to having been one of the most fun family days we've spent together, we couldn't help leaving the hill with a massive sense of accomplishment and we were both incredibly proud of Miss Grace, who skied, with help, most of the day and at the end came down just holding Jamie's hand and smiling ear to ear. The day also brought renewed appreciation for the wonderful family and friends we've been blessed with, and without whom our day would most likely have been even more eventful.

RECIPE:

Leek and Potato Soup

1/4 lbs Smoked Bacon fried
3 Leeks (finely slice and only use the white part)
3 Green Onions sliced thin
4 medium Potatoes
3 cups Chicken Stock
1 litre of Milk

Fry Bacon in a stock pot and set aside, deglaze bottom of pot with Chicken Stock and add peeled and chopped Potatoes, when Potatoes are almost cooked add sliced Green Onion and sliced Leeks and allow to sweat until softened, then add milk and salt and pepper to taste. When soup is well cooked (about 15-20 minutes after adding Milk, mash with potato masher to break up the potatoes and thicken the soup. Serve with a bit of grated Cheddar Cheese on top.

HERE'S SOME MORE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO