It is now Sunday of the four-day family ski trip and celebration – Holly, Geordie, Tyler, Kate, Dee, Wink, Dad and Nancy have all left by now – a sad but familiar feeling of departure – of hugs and a fair dose of tears – what a great family.  I have decided to stay on with my sisters Beth and Janet who cruse around Sugarloaf while I shoot over to Saddleback for a few runs.

Saddleback’s long approach road brought me to a small parking lot, a cozy lodge and some really decent skiing.  It was this great  facility that presented signs of wear and aging in everyday objects have always fascinated me.

Wooden door thresholds, the slight depressions in cement door stoops, smooth spots on slightly roughed steering wheels and today at Saddleback I became intrigued by the sturdy and well used wooden chairs.  I loved that Saddleback kept its wooden tables and chairs and did not bend to the modern and cold all plastic trends of other areas.  You will see (I hope) by the photos on this page that the chairs had rounded edges, long narrow grooves and varnish worn through to expose this lovely soft bare wood underneath.  These chairs reminded me of the calloused hands of so many of the farmers I have met over the years –hands are strong, thick, cracked and worn smooth by constant friction (there are almost no fingerprints).  In fact the hand warn smooth by hared work is but one more feature of the composite New England character I am building as I work my way to the end of this journey.