Winter is Waning

 
 
The season of snow is about to turn to the intermediate times of slush and slop and we are doing our best to enjoy the snow while it is here.  We were lucky this week with nearly a foot of new snow dropped over the weekend, but warm temperatures today certainly put a serious melt on what has become a very thick snow pack.  Valentine's day has come and gone and Merrick had to leave his party early last Friday as he was not feeling well.  He slept hard and rebounded strong for Saturday but we still took it pretty cool.  Sunday morning was in the single digits and windy, but the sun was so brilliant and the skies the color of blue birds that we had to hit the sledding hill.  We hauled the sleds and snow boards over and even found some old friends on the hill.  Back home we were trying our hand at some home made fruit leather from the last of past season's strawberries.  It turned out pretty well and Sophia took it to school to share.  The temps were cool, but not so cold that the kids could pound on each other in the back yard in the late hours of the weekend.  By mid week the temperatures were hitting the low forties and forecasting rain.  We gave two solid nights of fort building and a small force of snowguards tucked in around dinner and homework.  Sophia went the classic route with charcoal briquettes, while Merrick gave a nod to dried fruit and used raisans for his facial features.  We are able to back out for our postparandial strolls and plenty of pushing each other into the snow banks  It is a great time of year for the smell of wet mittens and kid sweat....almost like a parental potpurri.  With everyone's bellies filled, washed and wore out we have been finding some time to route on team USA in whatever sport the Olympics are broadcasting as we curl up under the blankets shoulder to shoulder and munch a night time snack.

winter life

We were graciously invited north for a cabin weekend.  It took our tribe two vehicles to get all the winter gear up there and even stopped for some great burgers on the way.  Life is life and sometimes it is important that we get reminded as to how great it is and how relatively good we have it.  While sitting at the restaurant our hosts informed us that although they had already made it to the cabin that the pipes had frozen and therefore there was no running water.  No worries we just grabbed a couple of gallons of water.  Water goes fast when it doesn't flow freely from the tap.  It was still an enjoyable evening around the fire with good conversation and plenty of laughs.  The morning however found us very low on propane for cooking and heating and it was certainly time to head back home.  We arrived home in time to unpack and have a little lunch before heading back out to snowshoe for a couple of hours.  It was enough to put us all into a relaxed state and gorgeous temps to traverse the frozen creeks and steep hills of the nearby topography.  Sunday's temps were in the single digits and while not cold for what we have become accustomed too it did seem brisk enough to not push too hard when the kids decided to play around the house rather than hit the ski trails.