“Three friends were discussing what they’d like people to say when viewing their open casket. The first said, ‘I’d like them to say he was generous to a fault.’ The second said, ‘I’d like them to say he was good to his family and friends.’ The third said, ‘I’d like them to say ‘He’s still breathing!’” (from James Scott Bell)
I’m not sure where you live, but here in Massachusetts we recently received 24” of snowfall in less than 24 hours and we are still breathing. There is nothing quite like the forests of New England draped in a blanket of glittering snow. My wife and I took advantage of the snowfall to strap on our snowshoes and head out into the woods. It’s a magical experience to be the first to break the snow crust, to see the tracks of deer and other critters, and to hear the sighing of the trees heavy with snow.
I’ve been snowshoeing my entire adult life. I even worked as a snowshoe guide and instructor for several years and I also learned how to make my own snowshoes by bending ash staves and weaving the snowshoe webbing. It’s a long, involved process, but it is also very satisfying.
Snowshoes are the all-terrain vehicles of winter travel. I love them so much I put them in the first book of the Heirs of Anarwyn series Torn. I have Cam, Spider, and Hebron snowshoeing down a mountain slope and across the Plains of Pannon in a desperate attempt to reach the Silver Wood before another Mahrowaith catches them.
The land of Anwyn is set in a fictionalize world similar to certain eras of Medieval Europe, but Europeans never had snowshoes. The first snowshoes are called “shoeskis” today and were invented by Central Asians around 4000-6000 years ago. These first snowshoes were made from a single piece of wood similar to ancient skis, but they were much shorter and oval in shape, used for walking instead to gliding over the snow. Asian immigrants to the Western Hemisphere brought shoeskis with them where they were later elaborated by the Native peoples of North America in ingenious ways.
Each design was intended for a certain type of terrain. For example, the Ojibwe snowshoe has pointed ends and an upturned toe, perfect for breaking through crusty snow. The Alaskan or Yukon snowshoe is long and narrow with a extended tail great for tracking across open country in deep snow. The famous Bear Paw snowshoe is more oval with no tail which gives supreme maneuverability in hilly and wooded country. These are the kind I have Cam, Spider and Hebron use, because the Anar live in rocky, mountainous terrain.
I had a great time writing this story and I hope you can find the time and energy to continue loving life and enjoying the stories I’m sending your way.
Cheers,
James
Thanks to all who participated in the launch of Torn. It remained on the #1 New Release on Amazon for several months.
If you missed the prequel, you can find it here https://www.jwelliot.com/the-ruin-of-goldereth-free-short-story/
Cheers,
James