Cross country skiing once again

December 26th, 2008

Back to the woods



I had skied a couple of times in the prior two weeks in our backyard. I wondered if I could ski in the woods again. The day after Christmas I decided to try. It was a beautiful winter day in Wisconsin. The temperature was a few degrees below freezing, 10 centimeters of fresh snow had fallen, and the sun was shining. I went with my family to 9 Mile Swamp which has many kilometers of groomed ski trails. I knew skating was impossible and used my classic cross country skis. Then my seventeen-year old son and I started down the trail. I loved listening to the crunch of the snow as we glided through the white pine, birch and maple woods. I could handle the flats, and the gentle uphill grades. After fifteen minutes of skiing my thigh muscles were fatigued and it was difficult to hold the tuck position and I fell. I sat in the snow, resting. A few minutes later my son gave me a hand standing up. Ninety minutes later we returned to the lodge. I'm not sure how far Zach I had skied, but it would have been unimaginable, that I would be back in the woods on my skis a year ago.



December 20, 2008




My tilt-recline wheelchair is gone.




This was a day which I had not thought would ever come. I donated my tilt-recline wheelchair to charity. They picked it up. Jackie took a picture of me waving good-bye to it.

For the past couple of weeks I have not been changing much. It could be the recent bout of vomiting and diarrhea that has gone through our household!

I also got out my cross country ski boots, and my cross country skis. It was just a few loops around our back yard, but I skied. Snow was falling. Fresh rabbit tracks were in the yard. Bright red berries were on the winter berry shrubs. The tall ornamental grasses swayed in the breeze. It was beautiful.