let it snow (the paradoxical indian summer edition)

 September is here and with it comes the symbolic end to summer and the arrival of shorter, cooler days. And while for us here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the summer of 2011 was all about the cooler days, and probably won’t be lodged in anyone’s memory as being particularly summer-like, we do have the consolation that our real summer – indian summer – has only just begun and thus begins another opportunity to clock in some shorts time. Now whether or not this happens this year is anyone’s guess – it’s been that wacky of a year — but however it plays out, I’m good either way.Don’t get me wrong, I’d love it to be, say, a constant 80° for the next few months —  I’m a quadriplegic after all and my DNA’s not that far from an iguana’s (I function a whole lot better if I’ve been able to sun myself on a warm rock for a few hours to get my blood warm) — but just the same, over the last 5 years, September, and it’s symbolic designation as the end of summer, has taken on some additional symbolism for me: the not too far off arrival of winter storms and the opening of ski season!But unlike years previous, the ski season of 2011/2012 (assuming my agenda lines up with life’s) is looking to be pretty special. Among other things, it follows an off-season two years ago where my spinal surgery kept me off the mountain and a truncated trial season last year in which I was kind of feeling things out to see how my neck would handle the bump and grind of bi-skiing. Both of those, different as they were — the first being a lesson in detachment and the second a celebration of gratitude — are reason enough to be stoked about what might lay ahead.In the meantime, I’ll keep l-i-v-i-n in the moment with the understanding that Sierra snow is likely on the way!... to be continued.pau.