Today I am thankful for...
my husband being back home with us. He left cold and snowy Pennsylvania and for a week was somewhere hot and sunny - in fact, he came home with a sunburned peeling nose! Meanwhile, the little babe and I were keeping the fire cranking, chipping away at ice, and bundling up under our mountain of blankets. However, I won't hold a grudge against him because it seems like he has brought a bit of warm weather back home. There is still plenty of snow on the ground, but it is definitely melting. In the shade, the snow has a thick crust of hard ice on top, but if you step into a sunny spot, you'll sink in up to your calves. On Sunday, we were going to take a stroll around one of the local parks, but the walking paths were still covered with snow. So we headed to the woods, just to see what the trails were like. They appeared to be packed down enough for walking and we happened to have the sled in the car, so away we went. No dogs to keep us busy, just the three of us on a leisurely morning hike, looking for signs of Spring.
We started on the Black Bear trail, but did not see any signs of bears yet. A big stick was required just in case.
We postholed across the field, breaking through the snow with every other step. The beauty of the wide open field under the bright blue sky was motivation to keep going.
We saw a lot of springtails, which look like fleas in the snow. They live in the soil and when the snow begins to thaw, they come to the surface and are very easy to see.
I've noticed over the past couple of weeks that someone has been slowly constructing some sort of fort/deer blind/hide-out. It kind of creeps me out.
We crossed the sunny field and headed toward the wood again.
We went up some hills and down some hills.
The verdict? Spring is not here yet. But our fingers weren't hurting from the cold, our smiles weren't hidden behind balaclavas and cowls, and we were sweating while only wearing two layers instead of four. Spring is almost here and we're enjoying what we've got.
What are you thankful for today?