Finally Winter

View out our window this morning

Our first real winter storm arrived this morning.  I couldn't help myself but go out for a nice long ski.  

Birch along the trail

View up the trail

After a good climb through knee deep snow I arrived to the meadows in a white out.  

At the meadows with my "trail breaker"

Spruce in Blizzard

View back down the trail

The snow had little glide but the trail was relatively packed.  It made for a nice and controlled descent through the meandering forest trail.  The trees were starting to take on weight with snow and creaking in the wind.  Best ski of the year!  

It's odd how a place will beat you down only to pick you right back up.  Within just a few days I burned my hand on the wood stove and blew out a tire in the morning on the way to work.  To build me up about four inches of much needed snow fell; making the ski trail much better.  Northern Lights pierced the dark sky displaying rich ribbons of green and blue.  Then, to top it all off, I saw a bobcat on the side of Highway 61!

Interior Modifications

With the imminent arrival of lil' sprout we have been making room (or rather building a room) for the baby.

First we framed up the wall

Then we sheetrocked

Happy with the results so far...

We don't want the little one crawling on cement so we got to flooring

Flooring around the newly arranged closets

Flooring complete

New pantry

Baby's room (minus door)

Starting to put it all together.  Here's the changing table.

Winds from the back edge of a massive high pressure system that has pushed east drive waves across the lake and crash on Superior's cobbled shores.  Winds gusting in excess of 50 miles per hour tore through the woods for two consecutive nights.  Tonight the howling winds gave way to crystal clear northern skies.

Today we cut an acre's worth of balsam fir.  Clearing for the house has begun...

I'm confused, is the recent warm weather a normal midwinter thaw or is it already mud season?  South facing gravel roads have melted and are left exposed.  There are even reports of open water on some of the lakes along the Gunflint.  Oh wait, now it's back below zero!  I guess that you have to have the extremes to find an average, right?

We woke up this morning to a deer standing in our living room window.  It appeared to be waking up after sleeping under the spruce in front of the cabin. 

I was fortunate enough to see a cow moose in the daylight near East Bearskin (typically I spot moose while driving at night).  Also saw two otter sunning themselves on the lake while running a dog team this weekend.  The dogs just kind of sniffed the air and decided that they were busy enough already.  A Bald Eagle soared above our road and led us home yesterday afternoon.

The moon is getting brighter and the wolves are howling.  The sun is getting higher and days longer...