Drip Drop: Winter is breaking in the North Woods

The woods came alive today with sun and warmth. Birds were noisier than they've been in months and their songs paired perfectly with the steady drips of melting snow.

With temperatures in the low 60's, I grabbed my lawn chair and sat in shorts and a t-shirt and soaked up every ounce of sunshine that I could. The dirty dishes, piles of laundry, and dog hair would have to wait.





Both boys played hard in the wet snow while Trigger laid down to cool off.

We came back to the woods yesterday after a visit Downeast. The Realty Road looked nothing like it did the day I left. For some reason I've never been mudding. That is, before yesterday. The boys giggled in the back seat, loving the pulling of the mud and the giant puddles that jumped up on their windows. It was pretty smooth riding once we reached Pratt Lake, where all other vehicle tracks ended and ours were the only ones going in the rest of the way.

Maybe winter is really on it's way out? A sign at the beginning of the Realty Road yesterday said it will now be closed from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Logging trucks will run primarily at night, taking advantage of every bit of hard road left.

I've had lots of people tell me that I should take the boys and stay Downeast for the spring thaw, because it will be much harder to get out once everything is melted, running, and flooding. I can't help but keep going back to the stubborn part of my brain that reminds me that not many people have been able to or ever will see a spring thaw at Clayton Lake. I will stay, simply because I can!

North Woods Plow "Truck"

I remember it well. The thrill that surged through me every time I heard the plow hit hard ground at the end of the driveway. Grinding and scraping, disturbing the neat layer of crushed rock as it pushed the snow.

 

Standing by the window with my little brother, we would watch and wait to see how tall those snow banks would grow. All the while, categorizing and placing them in neat columns for fort building, sliding, and jumping.

 

 As a kid, the scraping of that plow meant the possibility of so many things. The snooze button…time on the snowmobile…comfort food….naps…lounging….reading….and later, the gathering of friends. In my family, more times than not, snow storms mean parties with lots of good food, card games, and plenty of NOISE. When my husband married into the family he struggled with the whole idea. With people off the roads, power lines down, and visibility at it’s worst…this is the time that my family gets the urge to get out and socialize. Call us crazy…I’m not really sure why that is? It just is.

 

Up here in the North Woods, giant loaders come and clear our yard and  graders clear the road. It doesn’t get much more exciting for little boys. Plow, carry, lift, dump, and repeat. I am thankful for the opportunity for them to observe…it serves as a great babysitter while it lasts!

 

Ashland Adventures

We decided to venture out the other day. It's been about three weeks since the boys and I have left the house. Ashland has become a place where we can go for a change in scenery. A place where we can see other human faces and get some fresh social interaction. 

 



It isn't very often that I get to be a passenger on the Realty road and I took full advantage. My camera was out and ready in case any creatures decided to show themselves, but I'd say that they're still pretty well hunkered down. We saw a couple of deer when we crossed the Aroostook river in Ashland.

Now I know that the Ashland One Stop doesn't look like much....but I am in love with their pizza. I don't know, maybe it's the fact that it's the closest place I can go for someone else to make my family and myself dinner...but I don't think that's it. I would openly call myself somewhat of a food snob...I can be quite particular. The crust is nice and crunchy and topped with the perfect proportions of cheese and sauce. It's one of the reasons that I look forward to our trips to Ashland!

 

A package was waiting at the post office for the boys sent from Florida, filled with shark gummies, stuffed gators, plastic gators and other little trinkets. We stopped at IF&W headquarters to visit with our Warden friends. It's always an exciting stop for the boys...they know they will get treats and attention from someone other than mom and dad. Jackson loves the badges and pins and lollipops and gadgets...and Andrew always runs strait for the lynx display.

 

 The most exciting part of the trip other than the pizza? There are a few bare spots of road where the dirt is not covered with any white stuff. I never though dirt could look so lovely!