Cycle of the Solstice: Happiness Is...

this weekend!! A fun weekend spent outside with family, friends, the dogs and the sun. Caleb played his last regular season basketball game of his senior year this Friday night. So I flew to Poland after school (with Dixie in the car). We got a beautiful ski in on Range Pond in the state park. I could not believe there had not been ONE skier out there. Are people crazy? Snowmobile tracks all over the place, ice fishing shacks, but not one set of ski tracks. Well there is now. Then to the game - they won, but it was close and stressful. He did not have a great game, but they made the playoffs. Saturday morning took a 3 degree walk in the morning with Dixie and Mia and then interviewed my niece all about her school experience (standards based reporting is the law next year). I left Poland dressed for skiing, dropped Dixie off at the house and then went to Titcomb to see the Dirigo kiddos compete. Got a beautiful half hour ski in to get out to "my spot" on the trail - the big hill in the back. Screamed all the boys up the hill (was actually able to hit two hills because I had time to scope out a little connector). Got home and then headed back out to ski on the snowmobile trails with Dixie. Got a beautiful ski in there. Then later that night, up to Al and Barry's to help Barry celebrate his 38th birthday. Bonfire, sledding runs down the driveway...I had to be very tame, and I was. Today, another beautiful ski in Temple (pics below), lots of grading, cleaning, and grocery shopping (those are not what happiness is) -- but being with my dogs on a beautiful winter morning? That is! I LOVE WINTER!