I hope Ozzy has a great time skiing, nad that no ill comes of it. And as for those pictures of snow, that's every winter for me. I've already had to shovel 3 1/2 feet of snow off of my garage roof this year, and it's not even the end of December yet. This is what I grew up with. All this snow can be a chore. And when younger, it was my favorite time of year, because I had time to play in it. I got the annual cardboard sled race going in my town about 5 years ago now. That's my homage to being a kid in the snow. Too many kids no longer know what it's like to really feel the thrill of sledding down a fast hill. Cyber fun is all well and good, but it just can't create the adrenaline rush of a fast slope. And my kids, well the snow trails they took scared me. There were some very fast and wicked turns, and kids did get hurt on them. Each of mine bounced off of a tree or two, but never with serious injury. The city finally closed that part of the hill (it never was sanctioned by the town), as too many kids ended up in the hospital with broken parts. The trail was called the snake because of the way it wound downwards with very fast and sharp corners. If you banked with skill, you made it to the bottom, if not, you were flying through the air toward the trees that lined the 5 foot deep ravine. My kids learned from the best, in some very big sand pits before ever hitting the snake.
The way I see it, you can't keep kids from persuing thrilling activities, so you'd better teach them the best techniques for managing the risk that you possibly can.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North