Mud season

Mud season.  Pussy willows have begun to sprout.  Although the ditches have been slowly flowing about 12" of snow remain in the woods during this nice, slow spring melt.  The daily freeze-thaw cycle has left a thick hard crust on the snow pack allowing one to walk over it in boots.  Back country travel is fairly easy in these conditions.      

Your entire routine changes during mud season.  Our footwear remains as insulated rubber winter boots but everything else begins to adjust to the static season.  Fleece replaces down jackets.  Baseball hits replace their distant wool stocking cousins.  The dog's feet must be cleaned upon arrival at the threshold.  Daylight walks are possible after dinner! 

Penelope bundled up in her wagon.

Despite the improving weather conditions at home we spent the better part of last week in southern Minnesota celebrating Easter with family.  

Here my two "little" sisters show off our egg-dying skills.

We brought Penelope to a small local zoo while we were "down south".  It was kind of odd yet very exhilarating to watch the wolves, fisher, lynx, cougar and otter up close and behind fencing.  I admittedly had a hard time getting over the irony that every single animal at this zoo literally lived in our back yard.  That is except for the cold-blooded timber rattlesnake.  I'm alright with this.  I'll gladly take a wolf or black bear any day over a venomous, highly-camouflaged, cold-blooded, fang-ridden reptile! 

"Gimme that"

Penelope thought the lynx was pretty cool but she really just wanted to see that camera!