Onomatopoeia

Tick tock; drip drop; gurgle gurgle; whoosh; flip flop; ahhhhhh. Yes, the sounds of a season winding down are all too familiar, ending with the sounds of my favorite shoes and a big sigh. It's been a winter of big highs and some pretty blue lows but considering the state of the economy, the environment and the world in which we live, it was a good season. Once again, the great joy I find in teaching skiing helps me navigate through stormier and less rewarding waters, and the enthusiasm and energy of the guests with whom I am lucky enough to spend my time continues to be infectious even now.

The last several days were oddly and otherworldly hot and sunny here in Vermont. I arrived at the locker room for work on Saturday morning at the usual time wearing flip flops, shorts and short sleeves. I went through my normal morning routine of signing in, getting my skis ready for the day, and pulling my boots off of the drying rack. I then sat in my usual spot with my boots on the floor next to my feet. I looked at my feet in flip flops, looked at my boots, looked at my feet, looked again at the boots, picked up the boots, replaced them on their spot on the wall, and then went straight to the supervisors' room to say that I had absolutely no intention of changing my footwear that day. Off I went into the summery blue yonder, successfully enjoying the rest of it without so much as a shiver. The following day was the last official one for the Okemo Ski + Ride School – we'll do the occasional lesson this week before the resort closes its doors for the season on Sunday, but for all intents and purposes we're done. There is still snow on the trails, there are still a few lingering people sliding out there (very few), but the looks on the faces of the employees tell the whole story. This week and through the weekend, all of our guests are still welcome and will receive the same consideration and standard of service for which we are justly famous, but we'll all be ready for a little off-season come Sunday.

The relevant sounds for me in the coming weeks, after a little travel to catch up with friends and family, will be those of a newly cleaned drivetrain and spiffy new tires on my road bike, and the groans coming from my not-quite-saddle-ready body. I'm looking forward to it, groans and all.