Log /Pic 95 "Summers Off" My First Book!

This is it, my travel book. Started almost eight years ago. I can't say I have been working on it strait through. There were months I would go without writing a word. I guess I was waiting to get motivated; sitting down at a desk is not exactly my thing. I did take a year off to travel around the world, not to look for more stories because the first draft of this was already complete. And of course I never wrote at all during the months of June, July, or August because I had summers off !

I am one proud little boy.

I can't believe this is me.

This definitely calls for a celebration. Long-trail it is! Very appropriate,

After an hour of staring at my book (and drinking a few beers), I started realizing the magnitude of it all, and emotions began to fly. There is no proof I am crying in this picture.

Life is great

Log/Pic 94 Winter & Vermont

Great winter-I could snowshoe in my yard!

While Lisa did the snow-blowing

Okay, I helped

But I did do some great snowshoeing near the Scantic River by my house.

Did some cross-country skiing at the Wilderness Center in Hartland. We tried to stay the night at one of the three cabins, but it was just too cold.

Lisa and I went to one of the little islands within Lake Champlain. Here we are on the daily morning hike with the owners (and their dogs) of the B & B where we stayed.

Enjoying the hot tub, drinking Vermont's Green Mountain coffee...

...while it snowed.

On another trip this winter, we went to a B & B near Okemo.
We took a horse-drawn sleigh ride at sunset.

It snowed during this outing too.

We drank hot cider by the fire from this sugar shack.

Because the farm had a couple of dogs that joined us, this is the extent of the romantic part of the sleigh ride.

On this trip, we spent a couple of days at the slopes.

At this altitude, everything was blanketed.

Lisa improved tremendously.

I was high on life.

And it's snowed while we were skiing-perfect!

Actually, the perfect part was where we ended each day; at the Waffle Cabin with a powdered-sugar-covered waffle and hot chocolate.

It was a great winter.