My favorite boy and my favorite beer.

Tomo dressed porker up for halloween!

Sending pics from my phone

One thing that always makes me happy is this little guy.

Pass in hand

I need your help

Dear God,

I know you are busy but PLEASE PLEASE, if you get a spare moment, Tahoe could really use some attention. We are trying to keep our heads above water but the undertow is overpowering. It seems every time we pledge to remain optimistic, another wave of chaos slams right into us. Then we are swimming (actually more like flailing around) in a sea of depression, anger, fear and desperation. Right now, it is taking all of our power just to not drown. I wouldn't ask if I felt I had any other option. I, we, have tried everything. We don't require much. Just a little reminder that you are out there. People are starting to doubt it. All we need is a little taste of winter so we can start repairing our hearts and souls and stop questioning what we are even doing here in the first place. I have faith that with the first real snow will come the first real happiness this town has seen in months. I know it sounds like a frivolous request but snow is what our culture relies upon. Its what brought us all together, it is our way of life. Everyone needs something to believe in, something to count on, some place to let go of all the trivialities and anxieties that consume us. For many snow and winter are the closest they ever feel to you. So I am sitting here hoping, wishing and praying that if you hear this you will help send some snow our way. We need it, our very lives depend on it. Things around here are bad God, and with a little snow, we will find the strength to begin fixing them. I love you.

Jenna
South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

I am greatful for my team

Hmm. Sorry about the last post...It has been a long autumn. I am trying to let it all go and just concentrate on the impending ski season, that better come soon dammit! As my best friend keeps telling me BE TUFF DOYLE, so that is what I am trying to do. This may be easy for most people but when you are a chronic overanalyzer and obsessive worrier it can be quite the challege at times. For now i am putting the "what ifs" behind and putting my skis on, team shadow is ready to rock.

Northstar, my favorite (though dont tell anyone i said Northstar and not Sierra) mountain is opening one week from today and will hopefully become my safe haven. Then life will get even better when Sierra opens and life will be back to normal and all will be well with the world. It is incredible to think about how, at least for my friends, life and attitudes change so much with the season. Fall is a dark time in Tahoe which pretty much starts with Agro August.

By mid August the resorts have been closed for 3 1/2 months, we havent been camping and skiing for 2 months and summer has officially taken over. Summer in Tahoe is beautiful and there are pleanty of other things to keep us occupied, camping, sailing, bike riding...but no matter what we tell ourselves, deep down we all know that what really gets our hearts racing is the snow. Even though we know we shouldnt, we can not stop ourselves from thinking about it. Only a few months and we will be skiing again, can you believe it. As summer starts winding down, school starts, the lake gets to cold to swim in, business becomes almost nonexistant, these few months start to feel like a few years. The mood is aggrivated, relationships fall apart, we drink our sorrows away and then BAM! its Halloween and we are all broke as shit with nothing to do and the snow really NEEEEEDS to start falling.

November has proven a little brighter, the weather has finally turned cold, we break out all the winter clothes from the garage and put away the boardshorts but alas still no damn snow. Some of us are working through our personal turmoils together, which makes it a little less lonely and a little more managable. Now we will be able to but all the bull shit of lifes inadaquacies on the backburner and live in a state of pure bliss and excitement for the next 5 months.

I want to say thank you to the team, Clif Cale Meg and Tom, its been a rough one but we've made it through, its almost over, and at least we have eachother as we head into Winter.



My last thought: Lets not get ahead of ourselves. We all know our weaknesses. Though I realize it is impossible to make it through the winter without a few trips to the emergency room lets try to leave it at stitches. Let us remain mindfull of our sholders, thighs, wrists, knees and backs and quit while we are ahead. When the pain takes over, leave it for the day, we will always be back tomorrow.

And I think we all agree that life could only be better if we had our Micaela with us every day.