Now that I’ve moved away, I’ve my own young blood who wants to be out there, and that pendulum swing between Thaw and Snow has a larger impact when it suddenly decides to move.  I moved on in life while my heart stayed here. I return in hopes to recapture that thrill of being the young blood I once was, and I have to laugh when my daughter eviscerates me with her wit to the laughter of my sister, or when my son rockets ahead on those slopes.  I moved on in life to good things, but life is moving on in ways I don’t want to recognize.

So I plan, I have that sixth sense in me you know.  I know when I can get that last ski day in during Christmas before the Thaw and the Rain.  I’m not shy in sharing that last year I knew we were not going to beat that Pendulum swing from The First Snow to The Rain.  Last year it rained on Christmas, then froze enough that night for us to try to ski the next day.  My instincts said “You can’t beat the Pendulum”.    Ice did a number on me and BOOM off a ledge I went, earning a broken ankle as a badge of “courage”.  I knew that Pendulum had swung back, but I ignored it.  Got lucky, but not lucky enough.

But we’re back in my Catskills this year, and I was back out on those slopes.  I knew the Pendulum was going to swing back, but nailed the timing before the Thaw and the Rain.  Made a comeback in many ways, connected with family I hadn’t seen since COVID.  We walked to the Lake today, ignoring The Rain as my son and daughter learned more about this region where I was raised.  The Rain and The Thaw spurred some tales of local lore I passed on to them.  The dark gloom of The Thaw helped me paint a picture of why I loved this region.  I taught them about the Pendulum.  My son got it, my daughter just laughed.  See these shores?  I can tell them the history of these shores and waters, relay stories about our family history.  

Look at that tranquil cold water, there are a few straw ducks still hanging around.  We can hear black crows squawking as they flit from tree to tree.  My son is planning his own trip back to my Catskills this coming summer.  He wants to make the journey alone.  I think he wants to develop his own inner clock.  The Pendulum has swung, holiday is over, The Thaw and The Rain is here, you can see it in the photo.  I must leave as I have always done for years now.  He’ll be back, he’ll find his own sense of a pulse to this region.  I know the Winter Season excites him, I hope there is more here that connects with him.  My home, that shaped me.