Pink Lady

Curling Bonspiel, Lake Windermere

Add caption

I will begin this post starting from Friday evening. The Snowflake Festival and Taste of the Valley in Invermere all complete with a curling bonspiel on the Lake.  Everyone is getting excited for the evening to approach.  The temperature is almost tropical, hovering at a toasty -6 Celsius.  The sheets of ice have been polished and pebbled ready for rocks and brooms.  The aroma of chilli and hot chocolate is drifting along the crispy shore of Lake Windermere.

Bob and I show  up promptly at 6 p.m. before the crowd and before they run out of chili, bison burgers and tasty cake.  The bands are just warming up (in more ways than one).  The ice is being swept ready for the around the clock friendly competition.
There is only one problem....I am not feeling 100%. Maybe it is just tiredness, or not?  It was an early evening of good food and hot chocolate while we watch the Bonspiel begin.  Home by 8 p.m. and in bed within the hour.  Morning slithers by quickly as I am reluctant to crawl out from between the warm covers.
We arrived at the slopes approx. 9:30 a.m. still not well, but too stubborn to stay at home, we skied the morning.
This is where the "Pink Lady" comes in.  After lunch, we arrived at Invermere Hosp. in emergency with chest discomfort.  It's a scary moment when you begin to recognise familiar faces!  I go directly to the hospitality suite a.k.a. the cardiac room when the hospital vampire (lab Tech) introduces herself as she siphons off some of my blood. I am connected up to an ECG to rule out any serious issues.   After peeling the intensely sticky leads from my upper body and leg the Doc ordered me up a "Pink Lady"  Hoping it was a cocktail involving Strawberry liqueur and cream, as it was not anything that tasty.  Doc was ruling out tummy troubles.  The recipe for this sadistic concoction is Malox (I'd rather be chewing on chalk) and Lidocaine. For those not so familiar with Lidocaine, it is widely used for dental anaesthetic. "You want me to drink this?" Forget the straw, so I banged it back as if I were a redneck in a Western bar.  Get 'r down!  The Lidocaine isn't so bad, but please substitute the Malox for some chocolate milk at least.  Anyway, I have Bronchitis!  No worries.....until I am told my Ontario Health card has expired.  Glad they took my blood pressure first! Another long story as my card was only issued for a 9 month period instead of 5 years and no renewal notice sent.  Many phone calls later to Ontario Health I am told: "Yes, your card is active, but it is also expired. You do have coverage, but you don't."  Exact words spoken by a not so pleasant woman on the other line. What else can I say, it''s Government.  I won't go on about the issue, so lets get back to skiing.

Clouds over Invermere

After a few days of laying low and knitting profusely while I am getting cabin fever, Bob is catching some groomed runs enjoying the sunshine and the T Bar (I am feeling better)  " I am skiing tomorrow!"

The Rat House

We catch up with some good friends slopeslide the next day.  Still no new snow. "It's coming" we are told. Still, a great day. Bumps in the morning and groomers in the afternoon. Time for a Bladder break, and a convenient outhouse to the right of the Sunbird Chair.  Last season the same privy was missing the door. What do you do when you are a woman? (my She-Wee is still in my kayaking life jacket back home)

Butt Biting  Rat

Now, the door has been replaced.  I'm told by my ski buddy to "Watch out for the rat living in there! He'll jump up and bite you in the Butt" Well...a snow rat? Or an outhouse rat?  What shall he be?
 What shall we name this 4 legged Mountain Friend?  We shall "Warn the tourists of the terror of the mountain"  All in a days' fun, of course. And I did relieve my full bladder... in the village at the base of the mountain.

Hoar frost on the road down the mountain

Tomorrow, I will be 100% once again, thanks to Oil of Oregano and Rx from Doc.

Feel the flow against the Snow.

Ski good, or eat Wood!

Just get out and Ski...............