OUTDOOR activities are always an ADVENTURE.
Though it feels more like April than January today, the skiing was great...if you have never skied in the rain you have to try it!
The weather guessers are predicting a much more "classic" ski day tomorrow, so if you stayed under shelter today...make up for it in the morning!
The ADVENTURES of PACE PENGUIN
Today is PACE's big day! His FIRST DAY ON SKIS!
Last weekend PACE signed up for ski lessons, was set up with gear and read some of the VERY IMPORTANT signs posted around Brimacombe. He spent the week telling everyone all about the PROPER clothing to wear while skiing when the temperatures are extremely cold and did a few PENGUIN BURPEES each night to stay flexible leading up to his FIRST day actually ON the slopes.
What is a BURPEE you ask?
You can do them too...they are a GREAT exercise...
From a STANDING position, drop down to a SQUAT position, then KICK YOUR FEET out behind you, do a PUSH UP and then JUMP back up to a STANDING position.
This is a GREAT way to keep FIT during the time between ski outings!
When PACE signed up for his lesson, he thought he would join Brimacombe's PARENT AND TOT program with the other "little penguins". Boy was he surprised to find that his great uncle Svend was his groups mascot!
He was sure to be at the Snow School nice and EARLY so he could be find his group on time so the lesson was not delayed!
It can be tough to get your vehicle loaded, make the drive, haul everything into the Chalet, get dressed and then out to your lesson, but it's important to do your best...the people in each group depend on each other to be on time and ready to go so that they get the most value from their lesson.
PACE had some time to spare so he wandered around checking out the Snow School area. On the south side of the school building he found something pretty cool! Hanging from a frame he found a chair lift chair and a t-bar!
On the frame he saw some of the signs he had already read that talked about safe skiing/snowboarding and SAFE LIFT RIDING TIPS. He decided to hop up on the chair to see if he could reach and safely lower the safety bar...and it was a good thing he tried this here before heading over to a real lift first because he was just a little bit too small!
PACE learned that he should ALWAYS ride chair lifts with someone responsible and big enough to help him lower the bar safely!
He then saw that there were more signs posted at the bottom of the Magic Carpet conveyor lift. He thought he would take a look at them and then WATCH some of the other little penguins get on the lift so he would have an idea what to do when it was time for him to get on.
While he was there, he got to meet some other kids his age. He watched them ski and gained some more CONFIDENCE.
It was now time for him to head over to the meeting area to get started with his lesson. He saw some other little penguins with neat bibs on just like his. PACE hopes that all the big penguins KEEP AN EYE OUT for all of his friends on the hill, sometimes it's easy to forget that they don't have the control or skills yet to react...and sometimes they do unexpected things!
When PACE arrived at the Parent and Tot meeting area he introduced himself to some of the other little penguins who would be taking lessons with him. He thought it would be a great opportunity to meet some new FRIENDS that he could ski with even after his lessons where over!
When everyone arrived their instructor took attendance and outfitted all of the other little penguins with BRIGHT PACE PENGUIN BIBS. The instructor also told them if they got LOST they should come straight back to the SNOW SCHOOL and tell the nice folks at the front desk...if they didn't know where the school was anymore they should go to a ski lift and tell one of the EMPLOYEES that they were lost and needed HELP!
Instructor Mike D-H helped get PACE started on the right foot, he spent a little time with Mike on a learning rope to help him control his speed, but before long he was cruising down the Bambi run with EASE!
It was a FUN day for many little penguins who also had their FIRST day on skis.
At the end of his lesson his instructor told him that he had done very well and that he was good enough to PRACTICE by himself on a GREEN RUN. So off he went for some more DOWN TIME!
PACE had a great day, he didn't let the rain get him down! He now knows that ANY DAY ON SKIS is a GOOD DAY!
It was another day in Paradise,
Cheers,
Mark
