Classic Style

  M anaged to get a few shots early Saturday morning (Valentine's Day) of the main snow grooming contraption at the end of its morning run along all 35km+ of trails at Forbush Corner Nordic Center , my primary cross-country skiing haunt.  That's one of the various models of Piston Bullies above. These occupy the large garage and space just outside it when not in use.  Four or five similar machines all told.  The two qualified drivers use them to groom and (re-)condition the various trails adjacent to and through the Hartwick Pines Forest along Interstate 75 just north of Grayling, Michigan. Ok, ok.  But what about the skiing Heinz-Ulrich? In a word, amazing.  Just at or above freezing by midday Saturday meant lots of skiers of all ability levels.  Same on Sunday.  Everything from first-timers and families with small children to semi-pro racers out for their daily practice sessions just after the fresh groom early that morning.   The enti...

  A  sartorial miss today, I fear, because there were too many colors or patterns happening on reflection.  Tan corduroys, a plan crewneck sweater, and/or a plainer necktie could have calmed down the melange of colors.  Or a plainer shirt and jacket.   Sad proof that it's easy to overdo it even with items that are nice by themselves.  Should've followed Coco Chanel's  advice and removed one item (or better, two) before heading out the door to the car.   Well, tomorrow is a new day as one of my son's pre-school teachers used to say.  Onward and upward. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  M ore snow in the night (Thursday), so another snow day Friday and extended weekend for the Young Master. A slippery early morning trip to take one of the cars to the garage for a scheduled oil change and other work, along with local skiing with the Grand Duchess in the afternoon before picking up the car at 5:30pm. The management of the nearby park and lake we like (Lake Lansing) was thinking ahead, so we were able to enjoy a few km of freshly groomed trails during the first half  of our tour.  We then ventured into the one-hour loop through the woods for some more challenging skiing along the north side trails.  Lots of quick climbs and short, sharp descents.   The Grand Duchess, who learned downhill skiing outside of Tahoe and Reno, Nevada as a girl, has always handled these quite well.  Not always so for yours truly, but it is becoming easier given all of the time  time I've spent on the snow so far this season.  27 ski tours since earl...

  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