Old Man Winter is Losing!

Last night I sold one of my spinning wheels.  It was a happy-sad moment.  I'm totally thrilled that she has gone to a good home where she will be used and loved.  I'm sad because she was my first wheel and I learned a lot about spinning on her, as well as spun a lot of yardage.  She was a little workhorse of a wheel, but I couldn't really justify her sitting in a corner unused.  Now she will happily be the centre of attention again.

We've had a couple of very mild days, with melting going on.   I love this time of year, with the surprise hint of spring yet to come.   The dirty, melting snows emphasize that Old Man Winter's icy grip on the world is slowly weakening.   They are one of the first signs that spring is on it's way.    I love the sight of the melting snow piles and the first glimpse of the ground hiding underneath.


The driveway is a mess of ice and gravel, but it is no longer heavily packed snow.  The path we've been clearing to the chicken coop
is almost clear of snow.  It's smooshy though, as the ground is still frozen so the thawing water and little top layer of muck have no place to drain.  Despite the squidgy ground, it's a good thing  and a beautiful sight.

Look at that sky!   After months of cloud cover and the very occasional water blue winter sky, there is a gorgeous, true blue sky.  How nice is that?   On a day like this, the bird songs burst forth from the quiet of the dead of winter survival mode.  The buds on the trees are starting to swell.  It will be months yet before we have leaves, but it's a sign of things to come.Today when I was running errands I saw a man wearing shorts.   I saw a girl outside walking home wearing a t-shirt.  I was outside taking photos with just a sweater on.  It's 8 C (46F) but that sunshine warms it up beautifully. 

  The dog and I were outside trying to take photos.  Well, I was taking photos while he was dozing in the sun.  I don't think he was all that enthused about my calling him to get his attention.  Mainly he sat with the sun on his back and his eyes closed, just relaxing in the sunshine!

We still have snow though.   They are calling for more this week and for the temperatures to drop back down to normal, but today people were smiling for seemingly no reason.  I think it was the sunshine!