Spring is in bloom

We are one third of the way through Spring.  That's one full month gone already.  And we are at the point when the season is really coming alive and showing all of it's beauty.  It is 100% my favorite time of the whole year.

So on Monday, after an exhausting day of work, I decided to take advantage of the sun and temperatures in the upper 40s to take the girls to Marshall for an evening walk.  

The walk along the river here is one of my favorites along the North Country Trail.  

We regularly see turtles warming themselves in the sun as well as a variety of birds.  

This time of year, we also see plenty of pretty flowering trees.  

We had a lovely walk and I was happy that I had made the decision to go to Marshall.   It was a wonderful start to our week.

Tuesday was busy, so I was really glad that we had the chance to get out for a little geocaching gathering at Dairy Queen.  I had been craving a shake and the girls were very happy to get pup cups.  Plus they were happy to get some attention from their geocaching friends.

The weather warmed up nicely throughout the week, and we had gorgeous weather for our Wednesday evening shelter dog walk.

We had a really nice group walkers and dogs and everyone enjoyed the time outside of the shelter. 

Afterward a group of us went to Dairy Hill in Mason for ice cream.  It was nice to get together with some my fellow volunteers away from the shelter. 

Thursday after work, before taking the girls for their walk, I had to mow the lawn.  With all of the rain we had last week followed by the warm weather this week, the grass has been growing so fast!  

After I finished mowing, we got into the car and drove to campus for our walk. 

I knew that everything would be in bloom, and I was excited to enjoy it all.

I love campus this time of year more than any other.  It is always beautiful, but especially so with all of the spring flowers and flowering trees.

The girls loved seeing all of the squirrels, which always makes our walks more fun.  The students we encountered were all interested in saying hello, and the girls happily obliged.  It was such a good walk.

The blooms will soon be gone from the Magnolia and Red Bud trees.  They will fall from the Cherry and Crab Apple trees not long after.  The lilacs are about to be in full bloom.  The students will be gone soon too.  And before we know it, summer will be in full swing.  But at least for this moment in time, we were happy to soak in all of the spring beauty.

On Friday I had hoped I might be able to get the girls out for a nice walk after work, but thunderstorms moved into the area in the late afternoon followed by rain for most of the evening. 

So I changed plans for the evening and headed out to Old Town for a visit to Preuss Pets.  When we arrived it wasn't raining, so I took the girls for a quick walk around the block.  With a few sprinkles falling, I decided to make a second trip around the block.  Then we headed into the store where the girls were promptly greeted by one of their favorite Preuss employees.  

We walked around the store and visited the fish, the Koi pond, the rats and ferrets, and made friends with a puppy.  Then I bought a few treats before we left.  We made a couple more trips around the block before loading up into the car as the rain really started to fall.  

On Saturday, I joined one other volunteer for our Saturday morning dog walking club at the shelter.  Since there were just two of us walking, we decided to take two dogs for a walk, and then take another two dogs when we got back to the shelter.   I walked Aunt Annie and Bumble Tub.  They were excellent walking partners.  They are pretty cute, too.

With 3 1/2  miles under my belt for the day already, I knew I still needed to get the girls out for a walk too.  So we headed to Albion for some time on the NCT there.

After temperatures had reached the 80s earlier in the week, Peaches was very happy with the 51 degree temperatures when we started our Saturday hike.

I had no specific goal for the day, but with the cooler temperatures I knew Peaches would be up for a longer hike, and I let her determine how far we went.  Along the way we saw our first Trillium of the season, which made me very happy.

After 4.4 miles, I needed a potty break and I knew the girls needed a water break, so we stopped at a local gas station to rest and rehydrate.   Then we parked along the trail again and headed out to see how much farther we could go.  

We added another 1.7 miles along the trail and finsihed as the sun came out and the temperatures began to rise a bit.  We finsihed the day with 6.1 miles on the trail which brings us to 76.5 miles for the year.  I'm so excited that we're over three-quarters of the way to our 100 mile goal.  

After a very busy Saturday, we were all exhausted and in bed early and then ready for a lazy Sunday morning.  But I also had a to-do list which I had plans to focus on for the day since it seems to constantly be growing.

Between housework, laundry, and needing to mow the lawn again, I kept myself busy throughout the mid-morning to late afternoon.  The girls spent much of the day outside enjoying the beautiful weather.  Then I ran some errands later in the day, and of course, the girls joined me.  We got home in time for dinner and the girls spent a little more time outside,  but now we're all inside and settled in for a quiet evening.  I feel pretty good about everything we accomplished today.

The next few weeks will be busy with some overnight travel for work as well as my normal work days, but the plan is to continue to focus on getting out for some more spring fun while Peaches can still enjoy some longer hikes on the cooler days.  Because once the summer heat arrives, our adventures this year will be limited to ensure she is happy and comfortable.   

As a bonus, here is a fun picture of Fiona and Picasso from their birthday last Sunday.  Fiona is now four and Picasso is now nine.  I love that they share a birthday and I love them!

Now I'm off to enjoy my Sunday evening before the craziness of the work week is upon us.   

April showers and April flowers

This week has been all about making the most of the moments between the raindrops and enjoying all of the things we love about this time of year. 

On Monday after work, we headed out to make progress on our North Country Trail miles.  With rain in the forecast most of the week, i wanted to take advantage of any dry moments to enjoy the things I love about spring.  I was especially excited to see the trout lily along our hike.

Tuesday was a such a rainy day.  We took a lunchtime walk when there was a break in the rain, and thankfully, the girls napped the afternoon away while I was busy at work.

After work, there was another break in the rain, so we were able to get out for a little fun.  It was warm and humid from the rain, which is not ideal for walking with Peaches, so I was excited to find tiny little Millbrook park for a short walk before we headed to Padgett Park for a visit to the dog park.

This was our first visit to the dog park since they reopened for the season on April 1.  Mina was excited for the chance to play ball.  I was happy that I could get her some good exercise.

Peaches was not thrilled with the heat, but was happy to be able to wamder around the park sniffing to her heart's content.

After rain throughout the day on Wednesday, it cleared up in time for our Wednesday night shelter dog walk.  The girls rode with me to the shelter since they hadn't had a chance to get out much all day.

I arrived at the shelter to just two dogs, one of which was unable to walk due to having surgery that day.  So with only one dog to walk and four walkers, the girls got to join us for the walk, too.  All three dogs had the best time.

There was more rain on Thursday morning, but it eventually cleared up and we were able to get out for a nice walk on campus after work.

There was lots of flooding on campus, which was crazy to see.  

The Redbud trees were in bloom and we found Mayapples too.

The Magnolia were also in bloom, and the Cherry and Crab Apple trees will be blooming soon.

It was a wonderful, relaxing walk enjoying all of the things I love about campus in the spring.

After a busy week at work, I was happy when Friday arrived and brought with it some sunshine.

When I finished my work for the day, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather to get the girls out for a hike on the NCT.   

I debated where to go, and ultimately, I decided to head to Albion.  With the heat, we took it slow.

After two miles, we stopped at the car for a nice water break.  After a good drink and a little relaxation, Peaches was ready to go again, so off we went.

We slowing meandered along and added another 1.75 miles for the day.  It was a beautiful start to our weekend.

Saturday we awoke to more rain.  I started the day with a clean-up at a local carpool lot with a group of fellow geocachers. 

Then I headed home to get the girls out for a short walk, wrapped some birthday gifts,  made a salad, and then got into the car to head to Nicol's house for a birthday party for a very special little girl.

I spent the afternoon with Nicol, Tyler, my mom, and Fiona.  We had lunch, played games, opened presents, and had cupcakes.  It was a fun time spending the day celebrating Fiona's 4th birthday.

I also got to see my favorite guy, Picasso, and got to give him one of his birthday gifts too.

After a fun day at the big birthday party, I finally had to head home to the girls.  I got home around 7pm, fed the girls dinner, and finally sat down to relax for the evening.   It had been a busy, but fun day.

Cooler weather moved in for the weekend and we didn't even get out of the 40s on Sunday.  I knew we had to take advantage of the cooler weather to get in some additional North Country Trail miles, and so we headed out for a mid-afternoon hike in Homer.

Peaches was full of energy after a day of rest on Saturday and temperatures around 47.  She was doing so well that after finishing 3.5 miles, we took a little break and then decided to head out to see how much further we could go.

I didn't expect to go another 1.6 miles, but she did amazing and I really wanted to go as far as we could without over doing it.

I was really happy that we were able to reach 5.1 miles on the trail!  I was also really excited to find a Jack-in-the-pulpit along the way.

We took our time driving home to enjoy the beauty of the woods in the spring.

As we drove through Marshall on the way home, we stopped so that the girls could take a quick potty break.  The bonus was that we got another eight tenths of a mile on the trail there, ending the day with 5.9 miles on the trail.  What a day!

We have now completed 67 miles on the trail this year.  I had hoped to reach 75 miles by the end of May, but I now think we'll hit that number by the end of April.  I'm really pushing us to get done as early as we can this year since Peaches is still able to join us.  As she nears 14 1/2 years old, I know that may change, but for now, she still loves the adventure and I want to keep giving her as many adventures as I can while she still enjoys them.

On the way home from our hike, I called Fiona to wish her a happy birthday.  She spent her actual birthday today being spoiled by her mom and dad.  

She also made a special birthday cake for Picasso, who shares his birthday with her.  It's crazy to think that he is now nine and Fiona is four.  I sure do love those two!

This week our temperatures will get back into the 70s, and the forecast looks pretty dry, so  we'll definitely be getting outside to enjoy more April beauty.  I love all.the beauty that April brings.