Fogbowl

It is as though I've been going about in a fog this past week or so...

George and I celebrated our combined one hundredth birthday together last weekend.
I turned fifty years old on Friday and he caught up with me on Monday.

My weekend began on Thursday afternoon while skiing with Chicks on Sticks.
As it was our last session, we spent more time skiing and less time learning as we laughed and bounced our way through Taynton Bowl.
Nothing like a bit of adrenaline to get a gaggle of girls on the giggle!
The weather was rather odd, with bright sunshine at the summit, a massive fog mid-mountain and cloudy at the base.

That evening we had our windup dinner at a British-style pub in town - bring out the Guiness.
Of course, we had to top it all off at the dance bar across the street with sparkle jeans and feather boas!
Those young chicks amaze me - I had a difficult time keeping up with the never-ending rounds of beer and, at the end of the evening, I was bundled into a taxi and zipped home on the ice across the lake.
George's truck would have to spend the nigh sleeping by the curb instead of me...

It's difficult to believe how wonderful I felt when I greeted my birthday at midnight, and how rotten I felt when I woke up to my screeching alarm the following morning...

I rolled over and croaked at George to call work for me and tell them I would be late.
They'd understand - I hoped.
I knew that I had to be there no later than 10:00, because it's an on-going tradition to have cake and a card at coffee break for the birthday person - especially on such a landmark anniversary.
George came home from work before coffee, picked me up and drove me back across the lake - the quickest route to work.
I was greeted by bear hugs and handshakes - and they did understand!

Come evening, I was still going as we attended our second night of the Starlight Challenge.
The weather was balmy and, instead of doing only our requisite two frozen runs on the race course and fleeing to the warmth of the lodge, we languished on the slopes in above zero temperatures with excellent snow conditions.
We even went so far as to take a sneak run in darkness through the fog on an unlit run.
Better yet, we met the groomer doing it's night shift as it rose up the slope, and we managed to catch some freshies on the way down in its wide track.

The following day we skied at our home resort of Panorama.
George got called in to work that morning but, as his job was to shovel snow from a roof from a house they built at the hill, he was able to get in some turns later in the afternoon.
...I didn't make it the hill much earlier.

The above photo was taken shortly after noon that very day midmountain when the sun was shining brightly at the summit!
The area in which it was taken is called Sunbowl...

I lost my ski buddy in the fog - along with my ski tips...
The clouds were so thick I had to push my way through...
We had to yell in order to be heard...
We could chew it...
It would chew us then spit us out...

Well - you get the idea!

On Saturday evening we met with twelve friends at our favourite Bavarian restaurant to celebrate George's and my birthdays.
I ordered rack of lamb, which superbly satisfied my taste buds, followed by a lovely Black Forest birthday cake - oh how spoiled I felt!
Later, we went to the local pub where George had organised a surprise party for me - it was certainly a surprise!
Our friend's two sons were playing a gig at the pub with their band.
They are all quite young, but they did a great job!
It was very special being able to see my old buddies from over the years, as we don't get out much.

I also received one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever been given.
About thirty years ago I did a sketch of a horse and I gave it to a dear friend of mine for her twentieth birthday.
Just recently, she had a print made of it and gave it to me for my fiftieth birthday proving, without a doubt, that what goes around comes around!
She and I go back quite a few years - we met in Quebec where we worked together with horses.
After many adventures, marriages, children, and homes, we once again live as neighbours in the same valley.

Jenny and I spent Sunday on our skis at the hill, but it was a mellow day.
There was live entertainment at the cosy log Elkhorn Cabin on the mountain, so we whiled away most of the time taking in the sweet sounds of an acousitc guitar accompanied by Mel's lovely New Zealand-accented vocals.
It was very relaxing, resulting in the fact that we found it a challenge to get on our skis to tackle the rest of the slide to the base.

Ultimately, we arrived home happy, late and contentedly sleepy!