Christmas; A time for Reflection

A Time to Reflect.

The pressures of the life we build around ourselves can be unrelenting, but we do get the occasional opportunity to stop everything and reflect. Today is a good day to stop, and have a look round. Take a deep breath. Ahhhhh.

Snowmobiling is a rugged activity, fraught with preparations and concerns. Getting the sleds setup, greasing the wheels on the trailer and check the tire pressure, checking the weather and the snowfall, calling ahead to book the room, and then checking out Quebec Rider or Trail Conditions.Com on line, to see what the boys are saying about the trails, is a big job. Finally, we fill the truck with gas and head north.

In my case, I need to get my snowmobile gear ready, and my web gear ready. The physical stuff is one thing, then I have to have the website ready too, and that requires months of hard work. And then, there's the rest of the coincidentals, that means cameras, batteries, computers, soft ware, two stroke oil, helmets, gloves, bibs etc etc. .

In order to go out on a trail, collect fresh web content, then come back to the hotel room and hook up on the computer, you have to be organized. The reporting has to go out the same day. Photos, videos, and stories must be updated daily, as well as all the regular daily tasks like checking email, and updating pages that need minor changes and tweaking. Throw in the occasional web virus, or computer crash, and you get the picture. Somedays, it's all I can do to get a connection to the Internet.

Well, right now, I have everything ready. My web site has taken four months of work, but she is looking pretty good. My sponsors are all lined up, their ads are installed on the site, and they should be pleased with the results. My sled is tuned up and ready to ride.

Now I need just three things. A bit of money to trickle in to pay for travel and gas expenses, snow on the ground, and continuing good health. If all that comes together, I will have the perfect storm effect. So far so good. (Remember last winter? I got pnuemonia in January, and I had to work from home for the rest of the sesason.)

I have been on the road for about 13 weeks now. Any sponsorship money that came in was spent on attending six snowmobile shows, travelling to visit some of the sponsors, and a little bit of riding. This is a great time for donations to trickle in. A fifty will fill my snowmobile tank for one day of reporting.

Next, I will spend another four weeks, photographing snowmobilers, and telling their stories on my web pages. After that I will go home, and work from an organized office.

The goal is to promote the sport through the Internet, and somehow keep the wolf away from the door at the same time.

I hope you will share your snowmobile experiences with my readers this winter. Send me three photos, with three short paragraphs. Tell me who is in the photos, when and where they were taken, and then fill me in on some of the fun details of your trip. I will post your content on this blog, and on the front page of zw.com.

Remember, when you send in a report, it gives me a day off from the actual trails. That is a good day for me to play catch up. Did you know that I spend six to twelve hours a day at the computer screen in the winter months, to bring you Zenwaiter.com?

Have a happy holiday, and remember, safety first.

Cheers!
zw
http://www.zenwaiter.com/

Zen's Canadian Snowmobile Blog is produced and owned by Zenwaiter Internet Services, Box 53, Mossbank Saskatchewan Canada e-mail zen@zenwaiter.com We welcome your snowmobile stories and photos, and all your ideas. zw