Cabin Fever

This winter was brutal.  Starting on Hambone's birthday, we had solid white as far as the eye could see for months.  Usually, we end up with some kind of break partway through the winter, but not this year.  The snow kept piling on, and if I'm not mistaken we got something like six feet over the course of the season.  That makes it the third snowiest winter ever recorded in our neck of the woods.

So.

Guess who has cabin fever?

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous.  Saturday boasted light blue skies and temperatures in the 40s, and Sunday was even better.  I believe it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-65, and the sun was shining from a beautiful deep blue sky the likes of which we haven't seen around here in a coon's age.

This is one of my favorite times for a hike.  The landscape is still dormant, almost barren, and we get to see the world in transition.  Icy ponds and streams butt up to the trails we're hiking in tee shirts.  Everyone is excited about the change in the weather, and - for once - no one's complaining about it.  We're just all so glad to get out of our houses and back out into the parks.

I even got to see the cranes for a bit, though they were too high up to appear in any of my photos.  I can't quite describe how happy I was to hear them.  For those of you who may not be aware, I have a thing for sandhill cranes.  They frequent the parks we like, and just about every time we head out for a hike or a bike ride, I either hear or see them.  They've become old pals at this point, and it's been months since we last saw each other.

And for those of you who may also be unaware: I kinda dig taking pictures.  With the new format and title of my blog, this is going to be more of a catch-all place for my rantings and just general stuff I want to share.  So, without further ado, I am proud to present a glimpse into our first hike of the season:

Getting under way with my two loves,
who are just as excited as I am about this. :)

Check out that blue sky!

The turtles will be out on these logs soon enough...

Icy inlet

This is where we normally see our friends, the mute swans,
later in the season.  

Leaves and some stubborn snow...parts of the trail were quite mucky.

The Hubbo Family!  Check out Mr. Man's newly bleached 'do.

The Princess, sporting a gigantic new tooth in one of my fave pics ever.

Cattails - back in here, we often see egrets and herons
during the summer months.

And it just seemed fitting to end with my loves
heading back to the trail head.

There's just something about hiking for me...with all the hustle and bustle of everyday life - even after making the decision to effectively drop out of the rat race and slow down - it's nice to get away.  Out here, it's easier to breathe and more fulfilling to just be.

That said, y'all should prepare yourselves.  This will not be the last nature post this year, by any means.  Who knows...maybe I can even persuade The Hubbs to go camping this year.