Longer Days

Despite continued cold temperatures, I can tell that we have turned the corner on this winter. The last several days have started out with either single digits, or well below zero. But the March sun is doing its thing, so that by midday, it's much warmer out. Combine that with the new daylight savings schedule, and it feels like we are well on our way to spring.

Now I must say that the arrival of spring in the Northwoods is much different than in other areas. When I say that this new season is coming, it still means that it will take weeks to get here. We will see temperatures that go up and down, even way down, I'm sure. We'll see sunny days, and probably snowy ones. We may get a March blizzard. But the duration of the weather events will lessen, and the episodes of warmer weather will lengthen. Already I've noticed two of my late-winter harbingers.....the birds are very active at the feeder, and I've seen the squirrels chasing each other a lot more.

The next thing to listen for is the crows. For whatever reason, the crows don't winter with us here at Heston's. Maybe it's the ravens' doing. They are larger members of the same family, Corvidae, so maybe like older siblings, they send the crows off to to other hang-outs for several months. I've heard that they are as nearby as Grand Marais. What I know for certain is that within a few days, they will be back up here, ravens or not. Sometime between the 15th and 21st of March, we'll hear them in the early morning, communicating to each other in their rough, throaty language. It will wake us up and make us smile, knowing that the season's change is signaled in another form. I love these markers in the natural world.

It was another great weekend here. The snow is still in good shape, and several people hit the trails. We heard an excellent fishing report, so there are still trout to be had out of the iceholes. The sun was shining each day, and the best part...the Northern Lights were out on Saturday night. Though I don't keep a formal record, it seems like it has been a long time since we've seen much of them. It was quite a treat to once again see the shimmer and dance of the pale green light across the northern sky. There were even a few rays shooting towards the southern sky. Perfect.

Back in the Saddle: A Winter Tracks Wrap-Up

Those who know me remember that a year ago, during the Winter Tracks festival dance, I managed to confirm my middle-aged status by rupturing my achilles tendon. I guess that I was having a little too much fun while dancing with my husband and teenaged children, celebrating that all of the planning of the previous year had culminated in a successful event. I learned that I am probably too old to pogo dance anymore, and I learned what it is like to have day surgery, recovery, and how to cope with an "old dance injury". It has been quite a year in that respect.

This past Saturday, it was time for our 4th annual Winter Tracks banquet and dance, appropriately named the Snow Boot Ball. Greg informed me that I should definitely plan to dance, stressing the importance of, as he puts it, "gettin' back up on the horse what throwed ya." During the band's break, he asked one of the musicians if they could play "Dirty Deeds" by ACDC. He agreed, and said it would be in the second set.

The band soon started up again, and by the fourth song, they were queuing up for it. Imagine my surprise when the guitarist announced the song and said that he had learned that last year, someone had injured herself while dancing to it. Greg grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the dance floor. I implored Addie to join us---"He's making me dance! Come with!" Soon the three of us were up there, dancing away with several other folks. Many of my fellow Winter Tracks committee members were out there, too. When Greg started to pogo during the song, one gal hollered to him, "Don't do that! You'll get hurt!" I shouted back, "It's okay! He's not middle-aged yet!" We all had a great time dancing our way through the song, and I am very happy to report that I made it through, injury-free. I learned that my legs are not as strong as they had been a year ago, so more walking and skiing is in order for the upcoming year. But it was great to be back out on the dance floor, movin' and groovin' and having a good time with everyone.

Our pizza party went very well on Friday afternoon. We prepared nineteen pizzas, which were consumed fast enough so that they didn't freeze. I joked that there was a short window of opportunity where a pizza slice would not burn the roof of one's mouth, but still be hot enough to enjoy. The ingredients, on the other hand, were a different story. About an hour into the fun, I noticed that the veggies were frozen, and the sausage crumbles were not far behind. The sauces, too, were beginning to get quite thick. Once they were on a crust and tossed into the oven, they thawed quickly, and the cheese melted nicely. The results were delectable. Some folks skied on down the highline trail, and had a few slices right away. There is something quite memorable about eating food like this outside on a brisk winter day.

From the reports I received, many of the other activities of the weekend were well-attended and lots of fun. If you want to get in on the good times next year, mark your calendar now for these dates: Thursday, February 26 to Monday, March 2, 2009. Hope to see you there!