The start-finish area about 7:45 Saturday morning. Looks cold, and it was. Brrrr. T he recent skiing weekend at Forbush Corner Nordic Ski Center just north of Grayling, Michigan was amazing (they just get better and better with each visit). Besides my own activities Friday, Saturday, and half the day Sunday, I assisted with the 5k race Saturday morning. There was also a much faster 15k race for, well, the racers out there! Before you ask, the temperature was -14 degrees Fahrenheit (about -25.5 C. to the rest of the world) at 7:30am when I arrived with squeaky snow everywhere. It warmed up but not by much, hovering at about 0 F. (-17.7 C.) for much of the beautifully sunny day. When you move around as much as one does in cross-country skiing, you stay surprisingly warm, hence several thin layers of clothing rather than heavy, bulky items that restrict your motion. Of course, modern synthetics that wick moisture away from the skin really he...
O r, Bingo Little gets lost in a drift? Snowing again in our neck of the woods, but instead of ski gear, it was time to don something a bit more professional for classes this morning. More of the usual suspects with the addition of a recent Christmas gift beneath the tweed jacket. For traversing to and from the car and classroom building where I am scheduled this semester, additional items included a well-worn Borsalino fedora, a camel polo coat with blue and white schoolboy muffler, gloves, and orange overshoes by SWIMS. Perhaps a bit whimsical and even silly by the sartorial standards of 2026, yes. But why not have a little fun with one's attire? It certainly adds a spring to one's step when forced to leave the ski trails of Northern Michigan behind for another couple of weeks and return to real life during the Sunday afternoon drive south. -- Heinz-Ulrich