2019 May 21, Not Even Kind of a Grooming Report;
Lacking actual data has never been an obstacle to the Grooming Report in the past and there is no reason to break with tradition now. I know the news reports show a trace of snow fell on June 3, 1990 but this grooming report writer was not a witness. With the Mother’s Day snow storm proving a bust and even the ski hill’s base all but gone, the Grooming Report is about to name winners in the Last Ski of the Season contest. You do have one more chance to turn in your photographic evidence if you wish to win the cornucopia of prizes. I should add, you need not include a copy of the current day’s newspaper (you know, like in the film noir kidnapping scenes). No, this is more like hitting a hole in one. Just remember, you can’t go with the “you lie and I’ll swear to it” process; Jeff Bezos knows where you were and we have him on retainer.
On a (not really) more serious note, either of you may wonder where the Grooming Report goes on the off season. Off season locations have a special feel one must experience to understand. For example, I enjoy visiting ski venues during the off season. There is a rhythm in the off season. Sitting in a chair at the top of a lift one can sense the kinetic energy as it builds. Of course, to some (and maybe even most) there is no life. I am reminded of a great grooming report detailing Moscow in September; several days after Borodino. The grooming report goes on for pages and likens the city’s activity to that of a bee’s hive after the queen has died. If you know any bee keepers they will be familiar with the phenomenon (and maybe even the report). Anyway, from time to time the Grooming Report has posted non-skiing activities and (unless the critic hacks into and changes my password again) we will continue that on occasion.
However, off season posts have always been on NTN related activities and there are myriad activities that are not at all related to NTN’s mission. So, where do non NTN activity’s reports go? Well, not unlike Unsworth’s Pascali in The Idol Hunter, the reports are logged where they will likely never be read. However, I have posted the picture above to see if anyone recognizes what I just re-built. Imagine my thrill when it worked like a charm. The “non-ski” season is short so one has to be ready for the six weeks of real summer. May is the month for such prep now that skiing is (apparently) over. With luck (well, actually, weeks of elbow grease) we will be using this mystery object in June.
Sondo