Just What the Doctor Ordered

It's that time of year. The time of year when Spring grabs hold of the reins, but Winter refuses to let go. And so a tug-of-war ensues. Temperatures fluctuate by as many as forty degrees (or more) over the course of the day. Roofs are dripping, yet the water freezes when it hits the ground.

The settled snow across the tundra has sheen to it. Warmed by the sun and buffed by the wind, it has developed a glossy crust that shines and crunches with every step. The unpaved road has become fickle. In the morning it calls for snow boots, but by the evening it's clear that rubber boots would have been a better choice.

Carried by the wind, laughter playfully dances across the village. Like little parka squirrels emerging from their burrows, the children are out taking full advantage of the comparative warmth. Drifts and enormous piles of pushed snow create natural playgrounds perfect for sliding or digging or staging a snowball fight. Tonka traverses snow just as well as soil or sand.

Right this minute, it's snowing outside. Big, fat globs of wet snow are swirling around my window. Inch upon inch, the snow is building, covering the mud, making the world pristine again. Though the wind growls a little, the snow is quiet and inspires a coziness that smoothes those feathers ruffled by a busy, stressful week.

As I look out the window, my breath freezes on the glass. With a smile, I reach up and etch out a prescription: One full day of tranquility, to be taken slowly, preferably with hot chocolate, guitar music, and a good book.

Ah...just what the doctor ordered.

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The mountain of snow beside my house has become something of the ultimate sandbox. Not only is snow fun to slide on and dig in, but it holds its shape much better than sand ever could. So roads and caves will last and last, at least until the sun breaks up the party.

The two dark spots to the right of the Tonka truck are the beginnings of snow caves. Having grown up in the South, I am basically fascinated by that kind of thing and I am tempted to get out there, myself.

My next door neighbor and summertime walking buddy makes the most of what's left of her swing set.

Two buddies take turns swinging each other. The swing's chains had to be looped over the top of the swing set frame to provide clearance for swinging. There is about two feet of packed snow under the children's feet.

Mud and muck alternate with snow and ice this time of year. My snow boots don't like it much and, I must admit, neither do I.

TGIF! Oh, wait…it’s only Thursday.

Ever had one of those weeks? Let me tell you, this has been one of those weeks. For those of you not acquainted with the joys of standardized testing, try to imagine using one of those disgusting nose thingies on a room full of stuffy-nosed babies who are hungry and cranky and haven’t had a nap…in days. Still not ringing any bells? Okay, how about giving a bath to a twenty pound, fully-clawed cat that’s never had one…and isn’t in favor of it in the least? Surely the picture is becoming clearer now…right?

To be honest, it wasn’t like that the whole week…only during the testing part. Please, little Johnny, pick up your pencil. Please, little Johnny, pick up the pace. Please, little Johnny, pick up your head! Hey, don’t get me wrong. Assessing educational progress is a good thing. So I guess, in a way, standardized testing is simply too much of a good thing! In any case, this leg of it is over now and we’ve survived and tomorrow there will be a special lunch to celebrate the accomplishment.

I think meatloaf is the intended entrée. For some reason that just strikes me as really funny. I guess, in my mind, meatloaf just doesn’t qualify as celebration fare. You know? I can see telling a school full of kids that they’ve done a great job and will be rewarded with a barbeque cookout or spaghetti blowout or pizza pigout or some other kid-friendly menu. Somehow, saying, “Hey, kids! Here’s a slab of meatloaf just for you!” just doesn’t elicit the same enthusiasm. But it does make me laugh and shake my head.

And maybe that’s a perfect ending for a week like this anyhow.


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This is what greeted me when I opened the door at my house and I thought, “I know exactly how you feel, buddy.” The good news is…I will recover from this week. The little guy in the photo won’t be so fortunate.




In fact, as I was clicking away with the camera, caught up in the luxury of this welcome distraction, somebody decided she’d shared her toy long enough.



Yep, he’ll be in a body bag (garbage bag) by bedtime.

Hey, it's Summertime!

Okay, it's not really summertime. But it certainly feels like it! That's a little April Fool's Day trick that Nature played on us yesterday! The low was -8 and the high was 18 above zero! Even with the windchill knocking it down to 3 degrees, that's leave your parka and snow pants at home weather. And everyone has been making the best of it. Kids have been outside playing all over the village. People have been shoveling snow off their porches (I did mine over the weekend while it was colder...ugh!) and even their roofs! All that shoveling is more than simply taking advantage of the heat wave. Once temperatures begin to rise above zero, the snow changes. It begins to expand and contract and the longer you wait to move it, the more difficult that job will become. Woe to the man (or woman) who allows snow on the porch to meld. Shoveling snow is a job. Breaking ice with a shovel is...pure torture.

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I took the sunrise photo a few days ago. It was one of the first mornings that the sun has been above the horizon as I walked to work. That big pile of snow is sitting right beside my house, the product of several winter pushings.

The photo below was taken right outside of the school as I walked back home that evening. It just amazes me that colors can be so vastly different depending on the angle of the sun. There has to be a lesson in there somewhere.

Here is the teenage son of my friend Gail helping his mom (yes, she was up there too) shovel snow off their roof. I had to laugh everytime Gail stopped working to chat with neighbors as they walked by. No one seemed to find it a bit unusual that she would be carrying on conversations from her roof.

No, I wasn't intoxicated or experiencing vertigo when I took this photo. This is what happens when you don't look at the LCD when you're taking a picture! Sorry about that. If you cock your head to the left slightly, you should be able to see the freshly cleared path to my front door. Gail also had a hand in this project. I would call her the Snow Queen, but that doesn't seem quite right. I guess the most accurate tag would be Ever Faithful Friend. No question!