Cross country skiing in Perrysburg this winter has been on thin snow, but there have been four good days so far. The key to a good trail is enough snow and preferably have it frozen into good grooves.
We had thin powdery snow which barely covered the grass and gave NO directional Security (unlike this photo from a few years ago). Down on the bayou the bare ice there also provided no security and led me into another crash, this time with a tree stump, resulting in another bump.
The interesting thing is the damage was surprisingly detected a week later by the millimeter full body scanner
at Detroit airport where I was taken aside for a pat-down, right on my sore spot. In this country of very expensive medical treatment here is an interesting almost-free one available to all. Don P. is investigating for me how deep it can measure.
I was flying to Montreal where the students happened to be protesting their first fee hike in 40 years, not appreciating that 40 years inflation had reduced their fees to ridiculously low amounts.
The pepper spray (from the Globe and Mail paper next day) looked serious. I only saw scary Security police and heard much shouting.
Back home the strange weather has given my snowdrops a snowy Security blanket
which shielded them from the coldest temperatures. They happily opened up fully the next time the sun shone. (they’ve been in flower for 4 weeks now).
Unlike our poor rhubarb which got badly bruised by the frost when it came up too soon in the unusual warmth of this year’s January.
Meanwhile Mr. Pinot never tires of performing with no Security net (and he has no front claws!), walking the rail of near-terror, in return for just a little well earned reckognition and admiration.
My skiing injury seems to be a possible mild stress fracture of the foot, caused by skiing non-stop for the last two days, trying to make the most of the fleeting opportunity up here in Michigan. The ratio of time-spent-preparing-the-trails to time-spent-skiing has been pathetic this year, but I did improve it a bit. Skiing on two inches of melting snow calls for innovative technique, such as hopping from one foot to another to make turns and avoid bare patches. Congratulations on your successes down there, and condolences on your failures.
Maybe if I impersonate a shoe bomber I can get a free diagnostic image of my foot–thanks for the suggestion.