that never gets old. It takes me back to my childhood and brings great memories to mind and at the same time, lets me know that I’ve still got it. Last weekend, my nieces, brother and friends were sledding on the best sledding hill in Scott County. They had been on the hill the day before, so the snow was packed and slick, as it should be for an incredible sledding experience.
My niece, for whatever reason, wanted to ride with me down the hill on one of the runs. Being that she is small (at seven years old) and I am not, I was a bit apprehensive that she would be hurt were we to have a wreck. But nothing else would do her, so away we went.
Nearly three quarters of the way down, we were lucky enough to hit a dip that caused us to go airborne. While that would usually be a good thing, Sophie’s safety was my primary goal. I had my legs around her and put my hiker thighs to work to keep her intact. There was no way that kid was going anywhere.
We did go airborne. And while airborne, we did a full 360, then bounced and continued on down the hill. At some point, Sophie said to me “Nini, you are crushing my lungs”. It didn’t matter. At the end of the ride, even though we had an awesome wipe-out, she was secure within the confines of the inner tube we were riding on. No injuries were reported and there was much congratulating and high-fiving between herself and me after the ride was over.
She said to me as we prepared to go again “Nini, I love you, but you almost crushed me with your legs and my mom would be upset if you had killed me”. LOLOL … this amused me as she is only seven (six at the time of the ride) and had enough sense to know that sometimes, I go overboard in the protection department. She didn’t however, fall off because she was caught in a vice grip. How much fun that was. I only hope we have the chance to sled down the hill again; next time though, I will try not to hold her so tightly that she feels like she’s being murdered. Now, all we have to do is wait on more snow. Some things just never get old. Sledding is one of them.
A Photographer's Heart 