Ski Vacation Style. . .

A few photographs from our recent weekend skiing getaway to Northern Michigan. Amazing conditions. And amazing cold. -17 degrees Fahrenheit one morning. But cross-country skiing warms you up fast and keeps you comfortable all day long.

On Day #1, we skied at Cross Country Ski Headquarters outside of Roscommon, Michigan, just about five minutes from the charming little house we rented. Beautiful groomed trails and rolling terrain through the woods. Excellent for kids and people new to the sport although we saw our share of hard cases with their waxing benches set up in the parking area, applying appropriate glide and grip waxes for the day's snow conditions.

We use universal glide wax on so called "waxless skis" (a misnomer), with a fishscale grip pattern in the kick zone of the bases. The Grand Duchess, bless her, also has a pair of new skate skis (a recent Christmas gift from yours truly), which have no kick zone given the different technique used to propel oneself forward.

Day #2 and Day #3 saw us at the more challenging and extensive Forbush Corners Nordic Ski Center just north of Grayling, Michigan. Top notch conditions, more varied terrain, and, on some trails, pretty technical skiing .

Best of all, The Young Master can now tackle advanced hills, so there was almost nothing we could not do during our three days of skiing followed by comfort food for our evening meals -- tuna casserole, macaroni and cheese, and pizza -- and evenings by the fireplace with coffee, hot chocolate, wine that featured the most delightful conversations with my wife. I cannot recall when I have felt so relaxed and at ease. It has been a long, long time.

We had such a nice time, that we have booked a second VRBO rental in the same general area for a weekend in mid-February. This time, we'll explore the Hanson Hills Recreation Area, another extensive network of groomed trails outside of Grayling, and return to Forbush Corners (Yes, it's that good!). Looking very forward to our next ski getaway in February!

-- Heinz-Ulrich

The Pleasaures of a Well-trained Dog. . .

A few final photographs from my visit to my sister in Washington, D.C. last week. These include one of 'Mr. Beau,' my sister's meticulously trained and truly wonderful Doberman, another of my sister, second cousin, step-father, and yours truly on the steps of the church outside Lexington, North Carolina just after our late mother's interment service, two of me solo at the National Cathedral, and a final one of my sister and me hamming it up during a long evening walk the day before I returned to Michigan. My sister routinely walks to the cathedral, about three blocks from her place, to enjoy the grounds and gardens. The Bishop's Garden, in particular, is a place she likes to sit for quiet contemplation and internal dialogues with our late maternal grandparents and mother, very much in keeping with the Episcopal side of things. Our grandfather, who was raised Methodist, became an Episcopalian when he married our grandmother. Before you ask, I am not sure tha

Almost Mid-June Sunday Style. . .

A fter two months, Blogger has decided to allow me in the door once again, so I can add a long overdue post documenting my take on classic male style. Since we are almost in the throes of summer, let's go with a warm weather theme this morning. Now, the items above will not be to everyone's taste: Deck shoes without socks, shorts, pleats, skinny pale legs, etc. All invite tisk-tisking and debate in certain online fora, but that's ok. I wouldn't wear attire this to campus Monday through Friday, or to church. But for relaxed, comfortable warm weather-wear around the house during the weekends, with maybe a quick trip down the road for a gallon of milk at the super market, this will do nicely, thank you very much. It's certainly preferable to the wrinkled, torn, stained sloppy alternative we see everywhere in 2022. Neither is it at all far removed from how the various men and boys across three generations of my extended family presented themselves during even

Classic Style

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