Looking over the past few years, today would have been the last day on the slopes for us this season. I’m wearing the shirt I generally wear while snowboarding in honor of the day, but in reality we’ve been off the slopes for almost a month now thanks to our stay-at-home status in New York as the world adjusts to our new reality.

As I sit on the porch and look outside, I’m reflecting to my last full day on the slopes, and have to admit it was amazing.

My incredible friend Jan and her husband, Stephan, came to visit us for a weekend in Massachusetts and spend the day on the slopes with us. I’ve mentioned my friend Jan before. She’s the amazing talent behind the quilt that adorns my site:

My birthday is in December, and Jan’s is in January so we often get together to do something special to celebrate our birthdays. She lives 3.5 hours from me so it’s rarely (maybe never) on the exact dates.

We started planning this ski weekend at Jiminy Peak quite a while ago. I was really hoping they could come the weekend of March 20. That was the weekend of the annual pond skim and parades and all sorts of fun stuff. But that didn’t work with their schedule.

The absolute only weekend that fit with their schedule and ours was the weekend of March 13. The timing was incredible. It was a year without much natural snow, and the slopes were in spring conditions almost a month ahead of schedule. We were a bit worried there wouldn’t be snow at all by the time they arrived, but Jiminy Peak has amazing groomers who make the best out of what they have.

The day Jan and Stephan arrived it rained a ton. That would not have been fun on the slopes. But the day we were slated to go out was beautiful!!!!

That image of the four of us was taken before our last run of the day. We were pretty wiped out. So much so, in fact, that we went back to our place for hours of yakking and a movie. We never even made it to the pool, hot tub or sauna.

Thought you all might enjoy a picture of Jan warming up under the quilt she sewed for me — the very same one in my site header.

We enjoyed the day together not realizing that the next day would be the last day the slopes were open for the season due to Covid-19. A case where ignorance was bliss so no sadness was attached to the day.

Amazing timing. If they had waited even one more week and come when I had been hoping they would come, we would never have had the slope-time together.

I am very thankful for their friendship and the memory of a perfect weekend together.