Believing in Spring

The warmth of the sun yesterday at 5pm had me believing that spring may actually arrive this year. I felt like I unscrunced my shoulders for the first time in about 33 weeks. And it was only 25 degrees. But the sun is out until past 7pm and it has that lovely force of warmth that gets you believing that change is going to come. That said, I did get out for one last fabulous ski today. I was able to hit that sweet spot around 1o am between when the overnight ice defrosts, but the sun hasn't turned the snow to exhausting slush quite yet. By my second loop around Highland golf course the slush was coming on and I was working hard.
This is the time of year when parents of elementary-aged children start the frantic summer signing-up ritual. This year we decided to only pick two daycamps for the boys- a week in June out at good old Camp St. Croix, and then a week in July at what looks to be a new found treasure. They get to go to a working farm each afternoon for a week. The brochure promises lots of brushing of ponies, getting eggs out from under hens, and other such treats. They pick and cook their snack each day! This place has a website, but in Eli's words, "It is sooo old school." From the looks of it, I think they have managed to keep their farm a lazy reminder of yesteryear. I hope so. The boys are completely excited.
For the rest of the summer we are going to find ways to get out and about as a family. We have our week scheduled at DuNord and are already laughing in anticipation of the fun that will come when we gather with our pals the NeskeMoens and the Neilsens. And then there is talk of a long car trip out to the mountains to visit an old pal of Jon's at his Colorado cabin. Our boys have never been to the mountains and I have these visions of them tromping through the woods and playing in streams. But the thing that really has me excited is plans to take a short canoe/camping trip down the namekogan. We have had the kids out in the canoe quite a bit in the past, but we have never done an overnight river trip. I hope that it is the beginning of a long romance for them. All these thoughts just because if you step outside right now and turn your face to the sun it kind of warms you right to your bones and it gets you thinking....