Jamie's presence lingers in the halls of the many hospitals in which she stayed before she died last month. She and her sister, Mel - were google-eye fans. . . as is evident in this photo.
This blog was started, in part - in order for me to share the beauty of the Adirondacks with her as (we had hoped) she recovered from leukemia. She passed away on Dec. 12th.
Jamie was well-known for a ten year old. Her efforts at fund raising were carried on CNN - and her home town favorites - the Buffalo Sabres - are continuing to work towards Leukemia research in her memory.
They will soon be playing a game and dedicating it to her memory. Each will be wearing one of her designer wristbands. They knew and loved my niece well.

Whenever I climb, I think of her.
And what part of one's day is Not about climbing? . . . I climb out of bed, out of the car, out of the hot tub, out of trouble, out of drunken sleep, out of - despair.
Google eyes? Oh, yes.

The Adirondack winters give us plenty of opportunities to climb.

On Skiing the Brea Trails in Boonville, NY

12 miles of skiing... from Boonville to Pixley Falls State Park.
Wow... these trails are maintained with a double track - and everyone from aged grandmas to tiny tots were out enjoying the course.
I can't help but reflect on how easy it is to follow a track already laid out, as compared to bushwacking through the wilderness, which is how I normally travel emotionally. I will post a few pics of the falls and hope to go back there to ski again soon.
The trails follow an aged canal system - I look forward to reading more about the history of the area. Returned.... wanting to read poetry - and stumbled upon an article in Ploughshares about the work of Elizabeth Bishop, whose work I had not read in a few years. The piece was called "The Art Of Changing Your Mind"... google it if you are a poetry fan.
Pre-set cross country trails are not necessarily helpful for practicing this artform... instead they provide relief from the need to make any decisions at all. For this gal, who limits herself to three decisions a day, at most, choosing the Brea Trails on a day of rest (Sunday) made sense.