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Spring!!!

Skunks are out. Rain in the forecast, but for Mem, I still have 6 feet of snow behind the shop in the backyard, if that helps at all.
 
Did I hear that this winter was the coldest winter for the Peg since 1898? Some of those frozen pipes may take till June to thaw?

I think today will be my last chance for a ride on the snow machine, better get them up the hill and into the shed before there is not enough snow to get it done.
 
Coldest in Winnipeg in the last 35 years but they won't commit to coldest on record. Yes, over 2000 homes and businesses still with frozen water pipes since the frost is down over 6 feet and it May take til June for it to thaw. The city only has 3 thawing rigs and it can take 10 minutes to all day to thaw a pipe depending how far along the pipe it is frozen. I know this because mine froze last year. Oh, and if they come and thaw it and it refreezes, you get put on the bottom of the list.
 
Our pipes are 4" deep... wow. I do not miss winter.

However, getting bitten by mosquitos and covered with ticks in January is ridiculous too. Our spring is in full bloom right now... most leaves are halfway out, dogwood and redbud are just past 'full', peepers have been at it since February, robins went through here months ago, and it's supposed to be 75 today. However, there have been NO hummingbirds. Not one. I am worried by that... they normally come through in late Feb/early March.
 
Coldest in Winnipeg in the last 35 years but they won't commit to coldest on record.

Dave Phillips is calling it the worst winter Winnipeg has seen since 1898. You must be so proud. Brrrrrr

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/citys-worst-winter-since-98----1898-254004961.html

If this was the case for Winnipeg, I can't see us being that far off here either. Mind you it was a tough winter all over. Maritimes had an epic winter as well. Then in Scandinavia they had a glaring absence of snow this winter. No wonder us Canadians are so interested in the weather, it's so dang interesting.
 
Spring is here. People out barbecuing and having outdoor birthday parties. Saw two sunning on beach chairs in their driveway.

Oh yes. Ice fishing still going strong.. plenty of beach chairs on the lake (the season was extended) and we hiked in the snow today for three miiles with crampons. Mt. Washington avalanched last week.

Its sunny, bluebird sky and 46 degrees ( 7.7777777C). Its all about what you are used to and what is new and bright.

Spring holds something for everyone.
 
I have a confession to make. I raked the lawn today. Okay, only a small part of it, under the big oak tree...the bit that's thawed. Halfway through, my neighbour Norm stopped on his daily walk, and we chatted about the winter (finally gone), his old '49 Chevy with the rusted out floor (way long gone), the economy (feels long gone), and northern rail service (going, going...). While we were solving the country's problems, no less than a dozen folks walked by with their dogs. Unlike back in February, when our freezing smiles were as weak as winter sunshine; me, the dog walkers, and my old neighbour Norm, are all thawed out and feeling unhurried again. The rest of the lawn can wait, till the last of the snow banks give up their territory. By then, there'll be new problems for Norm and I to moan about; or maybe we'll just rehash the same old, same old. What's the rush? Spring is here, and the lawn can wait.
 
Well, I come from the Toronto area so the Leafs used to be my team, not that I follow hockey much anymore. Just 'cause I live in Winnipeg doesn't mean I have to be a Jets fan. I have been to Maple Leaf Gardens years ago...
 
10 degrees C (50F) and sunny in Toronto today. Got out my camping gear, found the hammock and quilts, and went down to my secret hanging spot on a south facing slope in an unfrequented corner of a city park. Looked for signs of spring.
Saw my first green plant of the season...garlic mustard, an invasive species!:(
No matter. Snoozed for two hours in the hammock.:D Spring is here.
 
Went for a ride on the snow machine today...in a t-shirt! Leafs were in second place not that long ago, now destined to be out of the playoff and not even sucky enough to get a high draft pick. As usual the leafs will be gone before I can get out in the canoe.
 
Went for a ride on the snow machine today...in a t-shirt! Leafs were in second place not that long ago, now destined to be out of the playoff and not even sucky enough to get a high draft pick. As usual the leafs will be gone before I can get out in the canoe.

I think you mean't to say "lucky", and not "sucky". Umm, I'll just back away from that tempting play on words.
I forgot to mention in my sing song happy post earlier, that I also put the screen doors back on the house. I just know I'm asking for trouble now. If another polar vortex comes howling down from some nether region, it ain't heck freezing over to signal a Stanley Cup win for the Leafs, it's just me smiling sweetly as I get sucker punched by Mother Nature. Red, don't put away the sled just yet...just in case.
Come to think of it, you probably mean't sucky.
 
I cut a bunch of timber today ... Felt I earned some time off, so with a little Wisconsin river backwater open, I went for a paddle today ... Wow, how awesome to be on the water again, even if for just a little while. I used. Paddled made forme from Farmer last fall. It is a Copy of a Ray's Special ... Man he makes a great paddle, I loved it!

Happy Spring everyone ... Morning stated in mid 20's but climbed into the low 60's!

Bob.
 
Got out for my first paddle yesterday. It is an annual event we call "The swamp thing paddle". I is in a big spring flooded woods with old trees. Really cool,a friend named it "Tree style canoeing". A wonderful day!
Turtle
 
I'll ignore the snow we got today and even the double digit minuses forecast for the next few nights...

The fields around here are losing snow fast, the ditches are full of water. Snow pack is going, going...

The negative part is it looks like all the snow will be gone before the ice, which happened last year, leaving all the lakes and rivers low in early Summer.
 
While I wait to paddle, I do have to continue with chores before it gets too thick in the timber to gather firewood. So, in between the rains, I take the timber off the steeper slopes and further process it back at camp. The 4 wheeler is a god send.

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I am getting old for logs of this size. I will start to find some smaller stuff next time.

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Soon I will have my wood cutting done and begin paddling in earnest.

Bob.
 
Hey Bob, That's a neat way to get the wood out of the woods, I didn't know you could do that with a quad.
 
Hey Bob, That's a neat way to get the wood out of the woods, I didn't know you could do that with a quad.


O sure.. but I envy Bob's dry ground and lack of snow cover. Quad use now would result in a huge mud event now here. They are handy in the winter.. some people have snowplows on them.
 
My quad is an invaluable tool here as it is so steep, rocky and sandy. I haul timber, plow snow, till ground etc. I can get to places no other vehicle can reach with it. It is an amazing machine. It hauls deer pretty well too.

Bob.
 
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