Was THAT winter??!!

Maine's having a disappointing winter. Disappointing, at least, to those of us who love the beauty of a Maine winter and enjoy getting out in the snow.

January was so mild that furnaces ran much less frequently than usual. We had little snow. Neither Ken  nor I even so much as hinted at putting on our snowshoes and getting out into the woods.

February looked to be more promising. By mid-February, we had one or two half-decent snowstorms, and the temperatures plunged.

Ken even got to do his least-favorite task: Use the roof rake to remove snow from that darned valley in the roof. He likes to keep that area clear as much as possible, thereby preventing ice back-up and possible leaking around the chimney.

Violet came out for a visit, which means she and I got in some major sledding (her) and snowshoeing (me). Temperatures were frigid, but we took frequent breaks to go inside and thaw before resuming our fun outside.









Then, the very afternoon we took Violet back home, temperatures climbed into the 40's. With it came heavy, steady rain.

This is our back yard as of five minutes ago. A disgusting mess. Violet's sledding trails are washed away. Washed away, too, are my carefully groomed snowshoe trails.

I give up. Bring on spring. I've had enough of this so-called Maine winter.