From No Shoes to Snow Shoes

Well, it’s official…the S/V “Snoloha” is out of the water. Sailing season here in the Great Lakes is coming to an end. But just as one season ends, it’s time to start thinking about the next. Time to dig out the winter gear and equipment. For me, that means snowboarding and snowshoeing. For me, both of these activities provide moments of escape. For me, these seasonal transitions are always a good reminder of how and why Snoloha was conceived in the first place.

As Old Man Winter slowly makes his way into our lives, as he does EVERY SINGLE YEAR, it’s comical to listen to folks complain, again, about the snow and the cold. Winter hibernation is for bears, not humans.

So as winter closes in and people think about ‘hunkering down’, combined with the juggling act and realities of everyday life, along with the constant political campaigning for a vote that is more than a year away, Facebooking, reality crap TV, retailers setting up for Christmas in October (seriously!), Little Einsteins (have you seen this horrible show on Disney channel? It makes me mental). The list goes on, and on, and on….it’s all good reason to be excited to take advantage of what Mother Nature hands us next…not dread it, and bitch and moan about it. Get outdoors and experience fresh air. Leave the mobile device home and instead of ‘checking-in’, how about ‘checking-out’? Bundle up. Act like a kid again. Don’t Tweet it, enjoy it. Make a snowman. Go for a hike. Remember all those Steve Jobs quotes everyone was throwing around a few weeks ago? Why not act on that one you say you love so much? Take in the scenery. Do something, anything…other than complain.

OK, so I sound a bit harsh. Maybe I’m still slightly upset that I had to pull the boat, and of course the website redesign has me stressed…so perhaps I’m taking it out on this blog and on you…better than taking it out on my wife, she thanks you. But that doesn’t change the overall message…celebrate all that Mother Nature throws at us, rather than sulk about it.

And if you absolutely must do it. If you just can’t resist the temptation. If it’s simply too hard to let go…then be sure to share on Snoloha’s Facebook page as well.