Monday, April 4, 2011

Last and Found

This was our last weekend up in Tahoe skiing and it was the ultimate push-edge-bend-turn  - or is that other way around? -  to the season.

Me
And wait for this! Remember when I lost my snowboard at Alpine Meadows - and couldn't remember the colour, make or height? Not that I had completely lost my mind, memory and wits...Hmmm...Well they found it! We also lost Tallulah's skis - and they found those too. Heather at Lost and Found greeted me like an old friend - I'd checked in with her every week for months so we know each other pretty well. Why would they suddenly turn up? Apparently people accidentally take them home and have no idea until the end of the season. If you think that's unbelievable you have only to unpack with Kevin and I.

Lost and Found finds... with Heather
It was goodbye mountains and carpark (where you spend so much more time than you'd ever think).

Me and Tallulah in the carpark

And farewell idyllic wee town of Truckee with your yee olde gold rush worlde shops, brilliant double non-fat-lattes made by Jeremiah and smooth and shiny toffee apples.

Cy, Tallulah and Jackson
Tallulah and Cy

All sorts of things happened with you along...Our ski season started Christmas Day with Veuve Clicquot...and KFC. We learned to ski and ride like experts...well theoretically.  It was all a matter of saying: "It's Opposite Day!" and doing everything that self-preservation warns against. Head down the hill and dive for danger! Of course I struggled all season while our two youngest traversed from beginner to Double Black Diamond. We learned on the three-hour car ride up to pretend we were in the 1800's. Not embracing a Donner Party experience, just to temper the Weather-Freakout!Dotcom.

Tallulah
You heard the wonderfully esoteric and rewarding conversations in our car-rides.We learned the ten steps to Easy Ski With Kids. And yet still some days I would plead to Kevin to drop me off on the side of the road; the kids were fighting, we couldn't find three gloves, I was already exhausted and it was only 8.30am. And then we saw the snow...

And see yas later to our ski lease, you were a good old house. You and I both saw these icicles outside the kitchen form and melt many times.


It's always intriguing to stay in the home of someone you've never meet (less intriguing to pay them). Here in Tahoe, owners feel free to leave their bits and bobs all around. Their family photos that I examined for four months trying to find the answer in their faces: why would you worry so much about handwashing your plastic glasses? (which they told us to do in a note besides the plastic glasses).

Less interesting was the cornucopia of wallbumph that initially peeks your interest until you realise there are whole stores that sell it practically in kits; the old 1940's skis, bullfighting posters and kind-of Kilim rugs. I did though fall for this vignette of riverstones and the wee JohnBoy Walton truck (yes we got that in New Zealand too). And looking through their books and many videos.



On the way home we stopped for Mexican food at another perfect little place, Old Town Auburn,


...and headed home to Oakland with 15 cycles of dirty washing and some not so happy scrappy faces in the back. Winter is over, the summer sun is in the sky.

19 comments:

  1. Looks like a fun trip! I hope your summer holds many more adventures :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds like you had a blast! Going to head off for the slopes next season with the boys (8 and 5). Not sure whether to go Europe or head stateside but will definitley be taking top tips from easy Ski with Kids!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like such a fun time. We haven't been skiing in ages - we really need to get our kids on the slopes at some point. Bring on summer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ahhhhh, the last weekend of "winter"... Almost time for bathing suits and Popsicles, right??

    p.s. Not many people can look cute in skiing attire. But you pull it off. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. lovely read. It all looks wonderful. I remember reading a post of a ldy who came home with a pair of jeans that weren't hers, how would you manage that?!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have such a great writing style, I always feel like im right there with you! Sounds like a crazy, fun filled winter. Glad they found your snowboard and your daughters skis...love the photo of your three kids eating the apples, adorable! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I adore Tahoe, Truckee, Alpine Meadows and everything in between! This year we headed to Beaver Creek and I really missed the down-home goodness of Tahoe!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fabulous location!! Look a wonderful time!! :) I'm following!!

    Look my blog and if you like it, follow me!!

    www.sickbytrend.com

    xx

    sBt

    ReplyDelete
  9. You recovered the lost, had a fine time, and made it home safely.

    Not too bad; could have been a lot worse.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like a great ski season! I wish I could ski...I'm hopeless. My entire family enjoys it, so I tend to be the one in the lodge by the fire drinking a hot toddy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. i like that they wash the plastic - they're recycling!

    ReplyDelete
  12. So glad you got your things back! I love looking through others bookshelves....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great post. Funny observations about staying in someone else's home :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. so many great memories. i can't wait to hear about your summer trips! hope you are well!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah it sounds so wonderful, especially starting the whole thing off with Champagne & KFC! Kinda makes me wish I was there, although I have tried the whole Mammoth thing and found I'm really only good at lolling about in the ski lodge as I am a terror on the bunny hill.

    Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!
    xo Mary Jo

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm so jealous of your lifestyle - always seems like you're doing fun things!

    ReplyDelete
  17. oh, how fun! those photos are absolutely beautiful! i have a friend who lives in tahoe, and she says it's beautiful year-round. :D

    <3, Mimi
    http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...