Snow

So, it snowed on Wednesday. And again on Thursday. And for good measure, once more with feeling on Friday. With all this snow, Saturday found us with just one thing to do: PLAY!

This Christmas, B and I got snowshoes. I have wanted a pair forever, and just never gotten the courage to try them out. So Mom came through as usual and presented us both with a pair of TUBBS Ventures (visit TUBBS online at http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/). Today was the first time we've had enough snow to use them. And use them we did!

We were out for almost two hours, walking around the farm, fields, and forests. We've got some seriously hilly terrain, so it was quite a workout (snow was an average of 15 inches, but the wind pushed drifts 2-3 feet or more). But it was one of those vibrantly beautiful winter days, where the snow is crisply, freshly, evenly white, and the sky is an unbelievable blue, and you could only think of getting out in it and absorbing some of the scenery. It was especially nice to get out of the house because we've been snowed in since Wednesday - no work for me, minimum of chores for B.

Once we got back to the farm, we had had enough of the workout, but not enough of the day. So we decided to fire up B's Ski-Doo snowmobile.

A side note on the snowmobile: B has had this thing since before we were dating (over 7 years, for those of you who are counting...) and up until today, I have been on it a grand total of TWO times. We just haven't had the snow for more use than that. The last time it was started was last Christmas (2005) and it took an hour, about 50 spark plugs, and three grown men to get it started. Thus, I was not optimistic today when B pulled the start.

The first pull didn't do a thing. The second brought a sputtering cough. The third time was a charm - the thing roared to life, and B yelled for me to open the shed doors. He made a couple laps in the field, getting it warmed up, and we were off. We went to Grandma N's, and since no one was home, on to Dad's. My brothers and father have an affection for old snowmobiles, so once they saw we were out, they wanted in on the fun. My father recently purchased a 1960s model Ski-Doo Olympique (the closest picture I could find is below):

With his bushy beard and the slim look of the sled, and it's big yellow front, he looks like a garden gnome that got stuck in a yellow rubber boot. Die Gelb Aufladung!

My youngest brother drive an Arctic Cat from the 70s, and it is possibly the cleanest, shiniest, nicest looking 30+ year old sled out there. It's all black, except for hot pink piping along the upholstery. Kinda looks like this one:

The other brother drives a Ski-Doo that has been sitting in the shed for the last year. I can't even begin to find a picture that does that one justice. We stopped at my aunt and uncles', and Sue made the joke that we were like a traveling snowmobile show - we had a sled from each of the last 4 decades!

We rode all over through the woods, back and forth across Turtle Creek (including, much to my anxiety, small pieces of open water). Between all the trail riding, and the ride from our house to Dad's, B and I put on 20+ miles. It was a great day, but the backs and butts are feeling it tonight.