Antarctica -- October-November 2010

Turrett Point. Cropped from the previos photo.

In late 1969, I was one of a group of people who spent a week skiing and taking ski lessons at a place called VIlla bel View, near Mont Treblant, Quebec.

The ski instructors there were all either French of French Canadian (with one possible exception, who might have been Canadian, but not French). They all wore these "Canada Hats," white knit caps with a Maple Leaf insignia on them. Turns out, it has alwsys been difficult for me to ensure the insignia is is directly centered on my forehead when I put on the cap, so I usually look dorky in the hat (as is the case here). I hadn't worn the hat in years (perhaps decades), until I found it while preparing for this trip (we don't get much chance to wear really cold-weather clothes in South Carolina). I'd forgotten about how it so often made me look dorky.

Interestingly, the ski instructors at Mont Trembleu ALWAYS wore their hats with the Maple Leaf dead center. I suspect whatever lack of grace and coordination I have that prevented me from becoming an expert parallel skiier (being able to parallel ski with my feet always together), also prevents me from being able to put on the hat correctly.

(30 Nov 2010)