Winter is almost over!!!!



Living in Alberta almost my whole life has made me aware of just how long winter can sometimes be.  Many times there is at least a foot of snow by halloween, and it can be 30 below!  That doesn't happen every year of course, but often enough!  Once in a while we are blessed with a brown Christmas.  Living in the Great White North, this can make viewing all the decorations and lights a strange experience.  This year, however, the winter seemed to us to be exceptionally long and cold.  There was a bit of snow at Christmas, and it wasn't really too cold, but January was a different story. 



First big snow fall



It snowed almost everyday, any where from a couple of inches, to 2 feet!  This combined with -20 to -35 really put a damper on our winter activities.  February and most of March were not much better.  The kids and I caught an extreme case of cabin fever, and tensions were running high most of the time.  Combine this with only about 9 hours of daylight, and you get one grumpy family!  School work ground down to the basics, and there were many tears. (I'm not going to say from who.)  We had a few warmer days, and the sun would even attempt to break through on occasion.  The kids spent some time outdoors, bundled up so much it made excess movement almost impossible.  They usually only spent a few minutes outside as it was so cold.  On the days that it was only minus15C, they would stay out for longer and come in with red cheeks, and ice cold toes.  Time for a round of hot chocolate. 



Adding to the snow pile



My husband and my oldest son spent quite a bit of time pushing and piling up snow from our drive way and yard with the tractor.  When you live on a farm, that is by far the best way to deal with multiple feet of snow!  The pile out by the barn where they pushed all the snow grew and grew and grew!  According to records, the most snow we have had in the last 30 years.  I have been teasing the kids by saying the we will be able to put the slip-and-slide on it this summer for some extra fun.  



But the last week has seen blue sky every day!  Sunshine, melting snow, and the shift from a snow filled yard to a mud filled one.  That's just another benefit of country life.  We go from snow pants and winter boots, to jackets and rubber boots.  From  an entry filled with melted snow to one filled with muddy boots. Sigh, more mopping.  We have witnessed the return of some Canada Geese, the Crows are back full force, and we even saw a Robin on our front step!  Poor thing, I  have no idea what he will eat until the rest of the snow is gone.  I was hoping that school would return to normal, but I am out of luck once again.  The warmth and sunshine draws the kids out to play in the mud.  The older two have started the gopher hunting season early this year (yes, they come out before all the snow is gone!) in hopes of keeping a control on their population and saving some of our hay crop.

Soon the snow will be just a memory, and I am hoping for enough water out in the slough this year so we can go out and try to catch some frogs. Then there will be the garden to think of, and all the yard work involved with farming.  This year I am going to try something different for my garden, but you will just have to stay posted to find out what it is.

I hope that spring is well on the way in your area and you and your family will be able to enjoy all it's beauty!



Austin & 'Sugar'