Tuesday, April 30, 2013

We had our first thunderstorm of the year overnight and the heavy rains managed to wash a good bit of the snow out of the yard.  However, on the bad side, the weather service has issued flood alerts for our area.  We are in no danger of getting flooded, but the houses along the Clearwater River might have a problem.  John and I saw the river yesterday and it was well over it's banks.  The problem in flat terrain is overland flooding.

I managed to get the last of the items listed on ebay this morning, and then spent a good portion of the day setting up my new Kindle tablet.  I am selling my old Kindle to my grandson and will deliver it to him when we visit Wyoming in a couple of weeks.  John spent most of his day working down in the shop with JD.  That was pretty much our day.  We're hoping to get outside and start some yard work if the weather stays nice, but the forecast is calling for much cooler and temps and strong winds.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Not too much happening around here today.  John and I left home around 8:45 a.m. for my doctor's appointment.  This time I met with the pain management doctor, and after much discussion, it was decided that I should try physical therapy first and, if that causes the pain to flare up, then have the steroid injections.  I am happy with this decision as I wasn't quite ready to have needles in my spine and the pain hasn't been debilitating like before.

We stopped at Fleet Farm to pick up a new battery for the tiller and then made a stop at Matt's place on the way home.  He had gotten his four wheeler stuck in the mud and John wanted to see if he was able to get it out.  We ended up staying for an hour or so as one of our mutual friends was also at Matt's.  Sara had some spare time, so she gave me a haircut while I was there.

This afternoon John spent a little time outside cleaning out the woodshed.  There are only two large piles of snow left in the front and back yards, so now we can get out do a few chores.  I spent more time listing items on ebay--hopefully I'll get this job finished up by tomorrow.   

Sunday, April 28, 2013

We had a rather quiet day.  The weather was just about perfect with plenty of warm sunshine melting the snow.  The water is really running and the pond on the west side of the shop is now overflowing into the fields.  There is still plenty of snow left to melt, so we'll need to keep checking on our ditches and making sure the water stays away from the buildings.

After church we spent most of the afternoon watching golf, reading, and working on the computer.  Hopefully, it won't be too long before we'll be able to get outside and get started cleaning up the yard.  Today would have been perfect for such an activity if it weren't for the snow piles and mud

Saturday, April 27, 2013

We had another beautiful sunny day with warn temps.  It's hard to believe that on Monday you needed to wear a winter coat and the past couple of days folks have been out and about in shorts.  With the temps way above freezing, the snow has been melting very fast.  When we would pull out of our driveway, we couldn't see over the snow piles and today we could see the road just fine.

John spent some time in the shop once again helping JD with some product assembly.  He then grabbed a hoe and rake and continued with the ditching to divert the water away from the buildings.  The driveway down by the shop is a complete mess with deep ruts and water running like a mountain stream.



The problem is the big snow pile at the top of the hill will melt and send the water down the driveway for at least another week.  Enough snow has melted that we can now see our front steps and some of the bushes.


Today John got started on the dismantling of the roof that collapsed during the winter.



This evening JD and Jo invited us up to their place for supper.  With the major snow melt over the past couple of days, he has obtained a lake in front of his house.  The culvert under his driveway must be partially blocked and the water is backing up in the field.
 

JD and Matt looking over the situation
 
 High water in the front field.  Main problem is all the snow melt up in Matt's
woods and fields will run down here as well as all the snow still in the ditches


The guys trying to get some of the debris away from culvert
 
 
This is the opposite side of driveway--even when culvert opens, the ditches
are already full of water
 
   More people looking at the problem  Notice the driveway is dry
up to the road.  When we left this evening, the water was
gushing over the driveway.  That's how fast it's melting and
the water is rising.  Hopefully the driveway won't wash out, or
they won't be able to get out to the road.

We ate a delicious meal and had a good time visiting with everyone.  The grandkids all gave us a mini concert on the piano and their other instruments.  

Even though we are dealing with a lot of water and much mud, we're so thankful that the snow is finally leaving and the temps are getting back to normal.  It's been a long, hard winter here and folks are glad to see the end of it.  Hopefully, it's the end. 
 

Friday, April 26, 2013

What a beautiful day we had today.  The temps reached into the low 60's with plenty of sunshine.  The snow piles are going down rather quickly and the water is running everywhere.

John worked in the shop again this morning and then took a break to visit with Matt when he stopped over to talk to JD about sharpening his chainsaw chains.  I am still working on ebay listings and hope to have the last of them finished up tomorrow.

This afternoon we headed back to Bemidji for another doctor's appointment.  This time it was to learn the results of yesterday's breathing test.  It was confirmed I dealing with spring allergies and need to use an inhaler everyday until they subside.  After leaving the clinic, we dropped off a prescription to be filled and then headed to Applebee's for John's birthday dinner.  We stopped back at the pharmacy to pick up the prescription and then headed to the mall to do a little shopping.  We had some birthday coupons so John picked up a sweater and I got a new tee shirt the cost of which was totally covered by the coupon.  

On our way back home we stopped at Matt's place so John could pick up a couple of special bits he needs to start dismantling the roof of the lean-to that collapsed this past winter under the weight of the snow.  Right now it is partially blocking the doorway into the shop and, since the snow has melted around it, now is a good time to get started on this project.  Matt was telling us he has a job rebuilding a deck for a customer.  Seems the snow on his roof slid off all at once and crushed his deck. 

It amazes me how fast the snow can melt with the warm temps.  Right now the sides of the roads are completely free of snow and the deer are all over the place looking for something to eat.  We usually don't have to be on the lookout for deer as we drive during the day, but each day we have driven to Bemidji, we have seen them all along the sides of the road. We can tell it's been a hard winter for them as they look pretty scrawny.   Some more good news is the pond out back is now filled once again with water.  I hope to take some pics of the snow melt again tomorrow and get them on the blog.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

We finally made it!!  Our temps reached into the 40's today and that meant major snow melting.  We can now see more of the shrubs out front and also get the back door opened.  Temps are now forecast to get into the mid 60's by the weekend.  Hopefully it won't be too long before we can get back to walking.

John spent his morning in the shop while I continued listing items on e-bay.  I had a 1 p.m. appointment at the clinic in Bemidji, so we left the house a little after noon.  I have been having some trouble with allergies and the doctor wanted to have my breathing tested to see if I need to use an inhaler to relieve my night time wheezing.  We were only at the clinic for 45 minutes and then headed off to Perkins for my birthday lunch.  From there it was a final stop at Wal Mart for some groceries and then we hit the road back home.

Thanks for all the birthday phones calls and Skype visits.  It's always good to hear from friends and family. 

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Today was sunny and clear and, after a very cold start, the temperatures reached 40 degrees.  Quite a bit a melting occurred this afternoon and we can now see some bare spots out in the fields.  This morning John worked down in the shop and after lunch spent some time outside digging ditches in the driveway to divert the water.  The puddles are growing larger and the ruts are getting deeper.  Once the snow drops below the edge of the driveway, the water will run off into the fields and the driveway can begin to dry out.  Hopefully that will happen in the next day or so as our temps are forecast to reach into the 50's.

My day was spent doing a little laundry, cleaning out the cabinets in the den, and putting more items on ebay.  This evening we watched Survivor.  I bummed because Malcolm got voted off and I was rooting for him.  Guess I'll have to go with Cochran. 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

We had another quiet day around here.  The weather was clear and sunny, but the temps barely made it out of the low 30's.  I don't think we had much melting today.

John spent most of his morning working in the shop with JD after Matt stopped over and picked up the trim he had lacqured for him last evening.  I kept busy changing the bed linens, sorting through more of my scrapbooking supplies, and listing some of them on ebay.  What doesn't sell I'll put on a garage sale in a few months.

Our friend Ralph Ramsey called this afternoon and John spent some time visiting with him and catching up on what has been happening at Fort Clark.  That was pretty much our day.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Another cold but "snow free" day.  Even though the temps slip to just above freezing, the melting continues, though slowly.  We can now see a little more of the tree stump in the flower bed and some of the front steps which means the snow depths are going down slowly be surely.

John and I were out the door bright and early as I had a 8:50 a.m. doctor's appointment.  I would normally drive myself, but since the road is so muddy and we need to use the truck to get to the highway, John decided to go along.  We arrived a few minutes early and I was called in after about 20 minutes.  From there it was a long wait for the doctor to come in.  After about two hours we left the clinic and headed to Home Depot to look for a new ice maker as our current on started leaking.  Our next stop was Menards to pick up a few items we needed and then, since it was noon, we headed to Arby's for some lunch.  

John spent some time this afternoon working on the computer while I sorted through some old scrap-booking supplies to put on e-bay.  After supper he went down the shop to lacquer some trim for Matt so he can install it sometime over the next few days.  Matt and Hanna stopped in for a visit this evening and she and I watched "The Voice". 


Sunday, April 21, 2013

We had quite a range of weather today.  The morning started off with sunshine, then clouds move in followed by some snow and then rain.  By early evening the skies cleared and we had a beautiful sunset.

This Sunday we got back into our regular routine and attended church for the first time since we've been home.  It was good to see everyone again and catch up on what has been happening around the church since we've been gone.

John and I spent a relaxing day watching golf and just vegging out.  We've had phone calls from Texas friends asking about our snow, so I took a few photos today to everyone can see what it's like in northern Minnesota.





  

You can see from the pictures that the snow is melting as more grass and bushes are visible.  Also, you can see how muddy the driveway is getting.  Right now our four wheel drive truck is the best way to get to the highway.  If the warm temps continue and we get some rain, we might be able to use the front steps by the end of the week.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

John and I were up nice and early so we could be ready to head out the door for another basketball tournament by 7:45 a.m.  This was another Pacesetters tournament with 13 teams participating.  The teams were broken down into different brackets with the first games starting at 9 a.m.  Sam's team played great and won their three games to make it to the championship where they lost to a much taller and stronger team.  We stopped at DQ for a late supper with Matt's family before finally arriving back home a little after 9 p.m.  It was a very long day and I for one am glad to have basketball finished for a while.

 

Friday, April 19, 2013

At long last a sunny, clear day with no snow.  From inside the house it looked like it would be a beautiful day to be outside; however, the temps only reached the low 30's and we had very strong winds from the north which gave us a windchill in the 20's.  John said it was miserable walking from the shop to the house and thought it was the coldest day since we've been home.  On the positive side, the sun is much stronger and we did get some good melting in today.  Next week the forecast is for temps to reach into the 40's.  Can't wait!!

We had pretty much the same routine again today.  John worked in the shop this morning while I continued attacking closets and drawers.  Matt dropped in this morning and spent a couple of hours discussing new truck possibilities and basketball.   After lunch John and I spent a good portion of the afternoon and evening following the breaking news from Boston.  As the melting continues, we'll have to start getting little trenches dug to divert the water so it won't flood the shop.  Right now several areas of the driveway are starting to develop  large puddles that need to be drained.  A lot more snow has to melt before we can get in our front and back doors.  Our only way into the house is through the attached garage for now.  This next week should be interesting as I think the snow will begin to melt more quickly and that means plenty of water will be flowing.

 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

We had snow again today.  Actually it was only a very light snowfall which stopped by mid-day and this evening the clouds moved out leaving us with a nice sunset, the first we've seen in over a week.  Hopefully there's going to be a change in our weather.

John once again spent his morning down in the shop helping JD with a couple of big orders which are just about completed.  I sorted through another closet and a few more drawers and finally got the summer clothes from Texas put away.  This afternoon I tackled the laundry and baked a loaf of bread and some shortcake.  John and I took a little time out to watch some golf before supper.  That was our day--not much happening right now.

 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

It was another snowy day here in northern Minnesota with the temps reaching into the 30's.  The snow was melting off the so fast that it sounded like heavy rain dripping off the roof.

First thing this morning John met up with Matt and followed him to town where he dropped off his truck for some work.  After dropping Matt back home, he ran a few errands and then spent the rest of his morning working in the shop with JD.  I continued on with my drawer and closet cleaning and got the upstairs bathroom ones done.  

This afternoon John's stepsister dropped in to welcome us home.  She lives about 90 miles northeast of us and since she works full time, we don't get to see her very often.  We had a nice long visit catching up on what has been going on over the winter with all of us.  

We spent a pretty quiet evening watching Survivor and a few other TV shows before calling it a day.  More snow is in the forecast for tomorrow.

 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

We had a pretty quiet day around here.  The weather remained overcast but at least we didn't get any snow and the temps got above freezing, so we had some melting.

John worked down in the shop with JD again this morning.  I decided that since there are huge piles of snow in the yard and we won't be doing anything out of doors for quite a while, this would be a good time to clean out drawers, closets, and sort through clothing to see what we can eliminate.  I managed to get John to look through his things this afternoon and now some of his dresser drawers are organized.  Don't know how long they'll stay that way.  

We took a little break this afternoon and watched some TV and did some reading.   I saw a Sandhill Crane standing out in our west field this morning looking lost and a little confused by all the snow.  We've also seen geese flying around, but there's not much open water in the area for them right now.  Like I said, not much happening around here right now.

Monday, April 15, 2013

We woke up to an additional 6-8 inches of heavy, wet snow.  The driveway and road were once again covered, so we now have a very sloppy road and driveway.

After doing some snow removal, John worked with JD down in the shop this morning helping with some assembly.  I developed red, itchy eyes over the past couple of days and decided this morning that I wasn't suffering from allergies, called the clinic, and got an appointment with my eye doctor.  Since we weren't sure what the roads would be like, we left ourselves an hour to get there.  It was slow going on the gravel road, but once we reached the main highway, we had good roads all the way to Bemidji.  We arrive about 20 minutes early for my appointment and I only waited about five minutes before being called in to see the doctor.   He confirmed my suspicion that I had something other than an allergy--I had picked up some sort of virus and, since it can't be treated with antibiotics, will have to run its course which could be as long as two weeks.  I wasn't happy to hear that as the itching is driving me crazy.  On the good side, he prescribed some eye drops with a small amount of steroids which he told me should give some relief and make me more comfortable.

After leaving the clinic, we headed to BK for some lunch, got my prescription filled, and stopped at Wal Mart to pick up a display folder for Sam to use for his science fair project.  We dropped the folder off on our way home and while there, picked up a CD of this past weekend's basketball games.  Following supper, we watched the games again and then watched more of the news about what was happening in Boston. 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Well, we made it back home after a fun weekend of basketball.  John and I left on Friday around noon, made a quick stop at the DQ for lunch, and then hit the road south to Fergus Falls which is about 100 miles from our home.

We met up with Matt, Sara, and the kids at the motel and after settling in and visiting for a while, headed over to the campus for the first game.  The Hillcrest Invitational Tournament is held every spring and consists of church teams from Minnesota and the surrounding states.  The teams are broken down into different divisions according to skill level, age of players, etc.  Girls and boys can play together on the same team and there were also all girl and all boy teams in the tournament.  Our team had four girls and four boys and they played in the 3 B division which had a total of eight teams.  All teams play three games and if you win the first game, you are in the winner's bracket.  Winning the second game takes you to the championship.  The kids played outstanding basketball and won all three games with a strong defense and executing a good offense.  Matt and the kids watched some of the other teams play and were able to work out good strategies for their games.  We had a fun weekend of wall to wall basketball and enjoyed spending time with the family.

When first planning the weekend, we thought we would sleep in on Sunday, enjoy some time in the hot tub and pool, and then head back home.  A winter storm in the forecast changed our plans and we were all up bright and early so we could get checked out and hit the road ahead of the storm.  Fortunately, the storm took longer than predicted to hit our area, so we were all able to drive home on dry roads.  Right now it is snowing like crazy with at least six inches of new snow forecast by tomorrow.  Some parts of North Dakota are expected to receive 16 inches of new snow.  Will spring and warm weather ever come to the northern plains?

Sam going up for a shot

 Sam ready to pass to Hanna

 Hanna showing good defensive form

 Hanna dribbling around a defender
 
 The Champs 


 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

We had another cold snowy day.  It's been quite a while since we have seen the sun for more than an hour or so and this weather pattern is forecast to continue through next week with more possible snow storms.  John and I really miss the sunny days of Texas.

John kept busy by working in the shop this morning while I did some cleaning in the house.  I hadn't done any dusting since we've been back so today I decided to attack the five month buildup of dust.   I'm use to cleaning only a few pieces of furniture, and now, with a bigger house, it takes a little longer to get the job done. 

After lunch John ran the pickup truck into town to get it checked out and the oil changed.  Once it warms up and the frost starts coming up out of the ground, our gravel road will be pretty muddy.  It's already got several sections with many potholes, so we'll need the four wheel drive to make it to the highway.  I've enjoyed watching the birds at the feeder and today spied a different visitor who was hogging all the seends.

 
We are leaving at noon tomorrow for a two day church basketball tournament to watch Sam and Hanna play, so I'll be taking a couple of days off from my blog until Sunday when we get back home.  Hopefully the snow in the forecast will miss us and we'll have good weather for traveling. 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

It was a little warmer this morning, but a walk was still not an option.  The road and driveway are still a little icy and who wants to walk in 15 degree weather--not us!!

JD still needed some help, so John spent the morning working in the shop.  This is actually a good thing as it gives him something to do.  I had left my fall decorations up when we left for Texas, so I took some time this morning taking them down and boxing them up.  

After lunch we headed into town to meet with our insurance agent about switching our car insurance over to another carrier.  Once we finished that chore, we headed to Bemidji to drop off a package at the UPS depot and then went to Wal Mart to pick up a few groceries.  While there, we ran into one of our old employees and spent quite some time visiting and catching up.  Both of us have been craving a good pizza, so our final stop was our favorite pizza place for supper.

John and I got home just in time to watch Survivor and then we spent some time on the computer Skyping with John's brother, Gus, and sister-in-law, Katie.  I think they just wanted to brag about the 80 degree weather they had today.   Sometimes it feels like we are the only place in the country that still has snow and winter-like temps.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The nice sunset of last night meant clear skies overnight and clear skies lead to colder temps.  Our outside thermometer read 8 degrees above zeero this morning.  We had weak sunshine all day with the temps barely reaching above freezing, so that meant not much melting, if any, for today.

JD needed some help, so John spent several hours working in the shop staining and doing some assembly.  I kept busy washing up the spring jackets (don't know if we'll ever get to wear them), and doing some rearranging and cleaning in the basement.  When we were in Bemidji the other day, we bought some bird seed for one of our feeders.  The birds have finally found it and I have enjoyed watching them out the office windows and taking some photos.




The rest of our day was pretty quiet--not much you can do with mountains of snow in the yard.
    

Monday, April 8, 2013

There was no color outside when we looked out the windows this morning--it looked like a black and white photo with the cloudy sky and fog.   We had another 3-4 inches of wet heavy snow yesterday which meant the driveway would be a sloppy mess again.  Right after breakfast, John bundled up, fired up the four wheeler, and spent a couple of hours plowing the snow and slush off the driveway in the hopes of it drying out faster and avoiding mud and ruts.  Early this evening the clouds broke up, the sun came out, and we had a nice sunset.  Maybe there's hope for us yet the weather pattern will break and the snow will be gone soon.




 

Sunday, April 7, 2013

After the long day of basketball yesterday, we were pretty tired and decided to sleep in this morning.  The gravel road is covered once again with snow, slush, and ice as is our driveway, so taking a walk was not an option for today.  As a matter of fact, it started snowing again and it looks like another inch or so will be on the ground before it stops.

Sam decided to play in a second tournament being held this afternoon in a town about two hours away.  Rachel didn't want to go, so she spent most of the day with John and I.  We kept busy comparing our Kindles and she gave me some pointers on which apps to download.   Since we couldn't do anything outside, I baked more bread and we had a movie marathon until the family picked her up after supper.  Amy called from Gillette, and I spent some time visiting with her on the phone and catching up on what their family has been doing.   John and I would like to get out there for a visit sometime this Spring.

The weather forecast calls for clouds, snow showers, and cold temps for the week.  Looks like we're going to be stuck in house for a while.  At least we won't have any excuse for not getting unpacked and back to some sort of normal.   

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Today was the Pacesetters basketball tournament in Frazee, MN which is about two hours south of our home.  Matt, Sam, and Hanna picked us up around 9 a.m. and we drove for about an hour in a heavy snowfall which only allowed us to drive about 30-40 mph.  We saw the car in front of us spin out of control and hit the ditch.  Matt stopped to check on the driver, but she was fine and was on her cell phone calling her husband.  Needless to say, it was white knuckle driving.  The further south we went, the better the conditions became and we finally got out of the snow and bad roads.

Sam and two other Clearbrook boys were recruited to play on the Bagley team and practiced with them a couple of times a week.  They had a bye for the first game and then played three other ones.  The team won their first game, lost the second by 8 points, and the third by three points.  I thought they did a good job considering they hadn't played together during the basketball season.  The boys will play in another Pacesetters tournament in a couple of weeks.  We stopped at BK for some supper on the way out of town and were glad to see the roads nice and dry.  It was a long day of basketball, but John and I had a great time watching the games.


  Sam getting the ball down court

 Sam guarding his man
 
 Sam shooting a free throw



Friday, April 5, 2013

It was much colder this morning, so John and I decided to postpone our walk until later in the day; however, the weather didn't co-operate as the wind came up and with temps above freezing, the road was pretty muddy.

Last spring John fixed up our double car garage with new insulation and wall board.  At that time he also redid some of the electrical wiring but a few of the outlets didn't work when he was done and he didn't get around to fixing the problem.  Since he has plenty of free time right now, he read up on wiring, found the problem, and got the outlets working.  John also hung some new lights and finished up his work counter.

 I kept busy today working in our home office.  Since we're not here the first of the year, I spent most of the day cleaning out files, organizing last year's paperwork, and throwing out what we didn't need to keep.  I now have a lot more room in the files and drawers and can start filling them up again.  In between sorting in the office, I did several loads of laundry and got rid of our pile of dirty clothes.  

Tomorrow we'll be up bright and early to head off for a day of watching basketball.  Hopefully the weather will co-operate as rain, ice, and sleet are in the forecast for overnight.   

Thursday, April 4, 2013

John and I braved the cold and bundled up for a morning walk.  The temps were in the mid twenties when we left the house and without any wind, it wasn't too bad.  The gravel road is clear of ice and still frozen early in the morning, so we were able to walk on a hard surface and avoid the mud that comes as the temps get above freezing.  

I spent most of my day in the office unpacking cardboard boxes and getting some of our files cleaned out.  Since it's still pretty cold, I don't need to be in a hurry to unpack the summer clothes we used in Texas. This morning John went up to Matt's to pick up a portable propane heater and got it set up in our detached two car garage.  So much snow it piled up by the garage, that when the snow melts, water is runs in under the doors, freezes, and ice builds up on the floor.  John lets the heater warm up the garage then breaks up the ice and sweeps it out.  I think this is going to be an ongoing process until the snow is completely gone in that area.

We have been listening to the local news, and there is major concern for flooding in the Red River Valley.  The towns along the river are busy filling sandbags and making preparations for the worse.  The major concern is the fact that the freezing temps are lasting into April, and if the temps should suddenly warm up, the snow will melt rapidly and cause flooding.  What we need is a gradual warming with freezing temps at night to cause the snow to melt slowly.  We are in no danger of flooding where we live, but we have family and friends that live along the river.  

This evening we attended a band concert at the school and enjoyed watching the grand kids participateIt was great to see them all again and I found out that two more are now taller than me.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

John and I skipped our exercise this morning as 17 degrees didn't lend itself to outdoor walking.  I dont' know when we'll be able to get back outside for our usual morning walks as the forecast calls for the chilly weather to continue for a little bit longer.

We made a list of groceries and other errands we needed to get done this morning, so right after breakfast, we headed into town.  Our first stop was the courthouse to renew our driver's licenses.  From there we hit the road to Bemidji where we stopped at the eye doctor's office so John could get the lenses in his glasses replaced.  He had scratches on the old ones which were still under warranty, so new ones were ordered but they wouldn't arrive until after we left for Texas.  The receptionist said to just stop in when we returned home and they would put them in the frames.  The whole process only took a few minutes and we were on our way.  We made a few other stops for birdseed and seeds for the garden before going to BK for some lunch.  Our final destination was Wal Mart to restock our very empty pantry.  

JD needed some help in the shop this afternoon, so John spent an hour or so helping him stain some product.  Matt then dropped in with some basketball videos, so the guys spent some time watching a few games.   I got the groceries unpacked and put away and then worked on getting supper ready.  Our evening was spent watching Survivor and a few other shows before calling it a night.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

John and I decided that instead of sleeping in a little this morning, we would get up early and hit the road for the final leg of our trip home.  We left Brookings, SD around 6:30 a.m. after enjoying a hearty breakfast in the motel's dining room.  It was pretty cold this morning with temps around 19 degrees and, for the first time ever, we had to scrap ice off the windshield of the Honda.  I think our poor little car was in shock from the cold temps.

We were about 15 minutes out of Brookings when we started to see more than just little piles of snow.  The further north we drove, the more snow we saw.  All the roads were clear and dry which made traveling very easy.  When we reached Fosston, which is about 18 miles from home, we stopped at DQ for some lunch and then hit the local grocery store for some milk and a frozen pizza for supper.  

John and I pulled into our driveway around 1 p.m. and the photos below show what we saw.  The gravel road was passable and our driveway was clear though a little muddy from the melting snow piles.



Gravel road to highway is clear and drying out
 




As you can see, a lot of wood was burned
over the winter. 

After supper, Matt and Sam picked up John so he could watch Sam's basketball practice.  I baked some bread this afternoon and spent some time unpacking boxes and getting things put away.  It will be awhile before everything is back where it belongs.  We are already scheduled for a band concert Thursday night and basketball games on Saturday, not to mention grocery shopping tomorrow--
and we thought we would be bored when we got home.
 

Roofing Being Done Everywhere!!

John and I have been keeping pretty busy over these last several weeks.  Our weather has turned quite warm, but the nights cool down very ni...