The welcome smell of thaw

Well, we've gone from a high of -10 to a high of 45 in the past few days - a HUGE, welcome change for all of us. Seeing as I'm a little backlogged on news and photos, here are some pictures that tell a little about what we've been up to the past month or so, from snow and ice to sunny days.

Chris, Ellis and I took a walk to the ridge on a snowy and hoar-frosty morning in January, escorted by the neighborhood beagle, Lady. It was a beautiful, still day - no wind is rare around here in the winter. We explored an abandoned farm just over the ridge from us - the floor of the house sinking into the basement, taking the decrepit piano with it, back into the earth. Word has it an old woman lived there alone with a hoard of cats. The place seems to have a story to tell. Why are there piles of untouched lumber in the barn? Why is the woman's trunk left in the front porch, along with her desk, old bills (1927), and notes? Why is there an organ in the shed? We wonder what will happen to the property and with the land.

On one of the colder days, we made a family trip to the Leinenkugel's Brewery in Chippewa Falls to beat the cabin fever that was setting in. Ellis LOVED it, to say the least...a giant room full of happy people to flirt with - he wasn't happy to leave. The tour left a bit to be desired, but the free beer was surprisingly tasty!

Ellis has recently become obsessed with any book Chris is currently reading. For a week or so, it was this one pictured. ("Anarchy, State and Utopia" for those of you who can't read upside down tiny print). What are all the Mercer Mayer and Dr. Seuss books for, anyway?!

A couple of weeks ago, Ellis (and the rest of us) was fighting a nasty cold. His Grandma Mary spent the day with a feverish, but happy Ellis, using magic markers (smelly pens!) for the first time. Note the brilliant artwork. Owain got in the laundry basket for some afternoon fun, and Ellis opened the mail. Not sure what that mail-sorting get-up is all about.

Today feels spring-warm and the horses are playing in the pasture, sunning themselves. Mistie is just standing there, facing the sun with her eyes closed. This reminds me of what our friend Chris told us about living in Sweden in the winter - when the sun finally makes an appearance, people stop in the street to feel the warmth on their faces.

I haven't broken out the sandals yet, but I feel the coming spring. You can smell it in the air - warmer weather and mud and wet fields. The hot tub takes less time to heat up and the woodstove in the house gets a little break during the sunniest part of the day. Pretty soon we'll get our hands in that mud. Come on out and feel the earth with us. It's rich and messy and ripe for growth. You can almost taste the tomatoes, can't you?