Thursday, January 6, 2011

SKIING IN SUDS

Just for reference, the Harriman State Park mailbox 
looks like this in the summer.

 It looked like this yesterday.
  Yes, a LOT of feathery, powdery snow had fallen. 


Things were slow at work.
Temperatures weren’t bad, 
and there was no wind. 
So I took the day off and headed for the woods.  
I knew the cross-country trail conditions
wouldn’t be great, but the powder was 
so deep that most of the time 
I couldn’t even see my skis.  
It was kind of like skiing through a bubble bath.










Fluff was stacked in heaps on everything.



This is the back of my mitten.  
Notice how small the snowflakes are.

You can’t tell me in all the ba-jillions of flakes out there—
that there weren’t one or two that were just alike.

The trails were easy to follow, 
even though they hadn’t been groomed for two days.  
However, there was a hazard to be considered.  
At unpredictable, random moments 
the snow would release from the branches 
and come cascading down.  There was no way 
to know when it would dump. 
As I went along I could see 
small avalanches happening all around me.








To give a sample of what it looked like
 I shoved a ski pole into a branch with my camera at the ready.

 It didn’t take much to trigger a demonstration.

 Aaaarrrrrrrrggggggghh!

 Ppptttttthhhhhhhttttt!!  
The things I do for a photograph.

* * * * * * * 
Dust of Snow
by Robert Frost

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

13 comments:

Sarah said...

So you ski to work? What a lovely way to travel. It is interesting the different types of snow you get-and its effects! Love the tiny snowflakes, you can see them so clearly!

fifi said...

fantastic!!


I wiil be skiing too in one week....we should be comig to Idaho!

Carla said...

Love the snowflakes!
Good for you, doing some cross country skiing when most folks would rather be in by the fire.

DayPhoto said...

Your poetry is a beautiful as your photography and your art work! You are major talented!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/

Leenie said...

Sarah: No I don't ski to work. It's a walk down Main Street that takes twenty minutes on a good day.

Linda: Can't take credit for that masterpiece of poetry. Look again. It is by Robert Frost.

Anonymous said...

I've never had the least notion to ski, and you've given me another reason! I don't think I would like a plop of snow landing unexoectedly on me!!

Claire Boyles said...

Those are some tremendous photos. .. so pretty!

Janie said...

That's a lot of snow!
Once a few people have been down the trail, the going ought to be much easier.
Love the Frost poem.

Flea said...

So pretty. I'm so jealous. We might get a light dusting on Monday. :( Yes, I'm pouting.

TALON said...

Gorgeous shots, Leenie! That sudden dropping of the snow is the worst - it always ends up down your back somehow! :)

I'm with you - there has to be a few billion identical twin snowflakes floating around. Beautiful shots!

Linda Sue said...

Beautiful idyllic snow! The flakes on your mitt are amazingly clear- wow! Love what you will do to please us- How long did it take you to dig yourself out of the avalanche? Thank you for your devotion to bloguniverse- you are to be commended. Stars for you!

Jill said...

Wowee, love the perfect little snowflakes.

Mrs Catch said...

Coming here from Bush babe of Oz. What fantastic photos of snowflakes. I've never seen that before! Thank you!