Up North

This past weekend, Chris and I made the journey, sans pop-up camper and dogs, up to our land in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I was a little nervous at first because of the snowstorm we had through here on Thursday, but by Saturday morning the roads were clear and actually got better the farther north we drove!!  We have never seen our land in the winter and wanted to take a quick trip to see what it looks like decked out in white...and boy, was it beautiful!!

If you look close, you can see our footprints going up the driveway and our "gate," some wire with marking tape tied on it.  The fir trees were gorgeous with the snow clinging to their greenery and the maples and ash with their coating of white.  Chris forged the trail up to our campsite, but even stepping in his footprints, I got snow down my new Christmas boots!  It was deeper than mid-calf on me.

My Christmas boots.  Aren't they snazzy?

Here's a view looking down the road from our driveway:

It was so pretty and peaceful and quiet there.  We're very glad we made the trip, even though it wasn't very long.  There is a ski resort in the nearby town of Iron River, called Ski Brule, and we rented cross country skies to try out.  Well, I should preface this with the fact that Chris hasn't done cross country skiing for at least 18 years and I have never had the "pleasure."  I always thought it would be fun, not necessarily funny and, in some instances, downright hilarious!!  We took our rented skis to a state park close to town and started on trails that were not for beginners.  Chris did pretty well; I, on the other hand,  for all the talent I have for sports, am totally and completely uncoordinated when it comes to cross country skiing!!  Maybe if the trail had been straight and flat, I would have done better, but of course that was not the case.  It had turns; I went straight.  It had hills; I ended up crawling up the stupid things (with the skis still snapped on or else they would have slid back down), or falling down them half-way down (some were pretty impressive, let me tell you!  the falls, not the hills!!  ha!).  But the whole time we were there, I was laughing my butt off because we I was soooo bad!!!  I just kept imaging what someone would have thought of watching us and our my bumbling attempts at this sport.  I was laughing so hard one time that I couldn't get up!!  I fell off to one side of the trail in some deep snow and couldn't manage to move; Chris pulled me up enough to where I could get my feet under me and then I proceeded to fall over to the other side.  I just wish he had had a video camera or was taking pictures constantly at that point because that would have made a great blooper!  Anyway, we had a great time but my poor knees are so bruised up from falling on top of my skis so much.  I would try it again, but I want a long straight trail. ;-)  Here are some of the few pictures we managed to take.  The first one is when we had just started out and I was still standing upright!

I actually look like I know what I'm doing here!  At least I was warm.

That would be me again, not able to get up due to laughing so hard!  At the left of the trail is my first fall at that spot, less than a minute before.

I also had to put one in of Chris.  He slid and fell trying to get up a hill and was trying to get his skis back underneath him; instead, the backs of them got stuck in the snow.  A classic picture (he was a good sport and held still until I got my laughter under control and the camera out!  Thanks, honey!).

It was a fun trip and now we're home and I'm starting to work on some projects around the house that I've been putting off.  I will save those details for other posts as they are completed and crossed off my list.  Nesting, perhaps?!?!