Hot weather...

In 2009 we didn't have a high of 90 degrees, so it is odd for us to be in the high 80s and low 90s in mid-May. But flowers are blooming, cottonwoods are snowing, mink are exploring and carp flapping. Anne and Erin get home today!

Skiing....

Its been good weather for skiing. Anne went on a ski weekend with a group of friends. Weather is warming up this weekend, making it a gray day. -Ack

We skied various places including the Raven Trail in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest. This shelter is "Turtle," one piece of art left over from a 2007 installation of about 20 pieces by local and international artists.  It was a beautiful trail. -Anne

Winter is here...

The winter solstice is the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight. In 2009, this occurs for the Northern Hemisphere on December 21. The winter solstice is often referred to as the first day of winter. But there are other definitions of winter. For example, the beginning of winter might be defined on the calendar day, on average, when precipitation has an equal chance of falling as rain or snow. For Madison, that calendar day is November 15. Meteorologists often define the three months of winter as December, January and February – the coldest of the year.

Of course another way to define winter is when you get a lot of snow. Which we have - over a foot!

Summer Snow

The cottonwood trees are dispersing their seeds! You have to look closely at the image, you'll see some fall by towards the end.

Fire and Ice

Another nice March day. Ack went for his first row of the year. The wind picked up on his return. The photo to the right shows what ice heaves can do to the shore line as the ice rams the shore. Most of the ice is gone, but there is a big sheet remaining on the open end of the lake. Anne finished her curling and worked on a pillow with Bianca (her little sister). Ack trimmed up the dead birch tree. We ended the day with a fire - in a healthy fire pit Mike built when we first moved in.

Spring is coming...

Yes, spring is coming. Friday March 20 at about 11:48 pm. There are signs around the house, like the ice breaking up on the lake shown in the picture (notice Anne's new camera.) Blackbirds are also moving into the marsh plot next to the house, and we saw three robins on a lawn.

The weather warms...

Well, our weather is finally warming up. We had a couple of days in the mid 30s, warm enough for melt ponds to form on the lake. You can see the water on the river in the dock photograph below. The ice is still thick enough to walk on, as Ack did as he straightened the dock on Saturday after the floods last June had warped it into a roller coaster. Saturday night we spent at the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department's Solstice party, a party now held around Ground Hog's Day. On Sunday we enjoyed the warm weather by going to the Olbrich botanical gardens and walking around (the photo is Anne walking on one of the paths at the garden). We had lunch at Tex Tubb's Tacos. They have good chips but need to hotten up their sauce. Fish tacos are not so great but the grilled chicken quesadia is not so bad. Anne then went to a movie with Bionca - "Mall Cop," much better attended than Anne expected. Ack stayed home and napped, did a little cleaning (very little) and worked on a colored pencil drawing.

What do you do when...

... the high temperature for the day is below 10F? And its been that way for a few days? Get outside! Anne and I went skiing on the lake today for some fresh air and exercise.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Erin and Alana came out the day after winter solstice and are here for a week. Here we are decorating the tree. Margaret, Meg, Reed and Grace are coming over for Christmas dinner. We are off to another snowy season, currently we have over 40 inches of snowfall. Anne and Alana went skiing this morning and Alana went back out for more. Ack stayed home and cleared snow off the roof in anticipation of near 40F weather on Dec 26 - high today is about 12F!

Sunset and Ice

We have had a below normal temperature in October and are on our way to a below normal November. Lake ice is also trying to form! Sunsets on the lake can sit be colorful - even with the cold weather and lake ice.