APRIL FOOL!

I guess it happens 'most every year. The late spring snow storms...but this is our second 6 incher in a week. Above is the front walk about noon yesterday (Mar. 31). Only a couple of inches down.

And ever year the 2 geese who have owned our pond the last 4 or 5 years show up just in time to get dumped on. At least this year the pond was open water for their comfort.They were joined by a few ducks, too. This is one of the few pieces of open water around this year.

We seem to measure the seasons more by what's happening than by temperature out here. I suppose a philosopher would mumble something about the theater of seasons...I'll just mumble, thank you.
For the locals and Twin Cities readers, the Hutchinson Theatre Company is doing their production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" this weekend (April 3-4-5 and next, April 10-11-12. Tickets are available on-line now at http://www.hutchtheatre.org/.

IT'S A REALLY BIG DAY!

If you live on or near a lake in the northern latitudes, 'ice out' day is a big deal! Second only to when the clouds switch from winter clouds to summer clouds. And today was the big day!
This shot was taken about 9 am looking Northeast from the studio-about a third of the lake is open at this point. The light area is open water being blown by a stiff 30 mile an hour wind. The wind chews up the ice. Without it, we could sit another week or two for the melt. By 2 pm it was over 80 percent open and the rest is almost gone as I write this. Now the weather can get more serious about warming...and plants get on with their growing...these are the first tulip shoots by the studio door.

People in Texas don't understand why this a big deal...but now you know!