It FEELS Like Spring

I know, I know, I know. It's NOT Spring. It may not even be Break-up. I haven't any real clue. I've been told March will be full of warm, melty days and then inches of wet, heavy snow!  Break-up comes when? March? April? Break-up IS Spring? Break-up signals Spring's arrival? I've been told this is not break-up yet.

WHATEVER - it feels like Spring. Temps broke 40*.  It was a great day. Michael had a sleepless night - and I got 4 hours of sleep - so the weather was just the pick me up we needed around here.

 Michael and Izaak took the insulation off the RV in order to get the RV's engine started. This proved to take a lot longer than expected. Look at the chunk of ice the RV is sitting on. In the end, it started.

Nolan and Alex will be joining the older 3 boys for another 4 day epic hike up Resurrection Pass in May. The training has begun. Alex is spending an hour a day on the elliptical.  Nolan declared it a good day for a long walk. He loaded his pack with 30 lbs of books and he, Stacia and I took off. 

Question of the day: How does white snow magically turn brown when it melts off the mountain? ::snort;; Obviously, we still have lots of snow...but the roads are clear and it was a glorious day for a long walk.  Nolan calculated our walk at 5 - 6 miles.  I should have taken a clue from the kids - the sweatshirt was too warm by the end of the walk.

As we headed back to our road, Nolan got a phone call. Don't  you love cell phones? Alex, Arielle and Benny were out walking and wondered where we were. We met up and headed home. It was a pit stop for me, Nolan and Stacia called it a day.

Alex, Arielle, Benny and I decided to walk on down to get the mail - another 1.5 miles. Yuuki gave out on the last .25 mile. I felt like giving out at the same spot - but there was noone to carry ME.  I walked at least 6.5 miles - got my steps in - FINALLY.

Back at home, Michael had gotten the RV started and dug trenches through the snow berms...trying to direct the melt.  I got 3 blog posts published, and two videos saved to YouTube.  I did NOT figure out how to do the videos in Lightroom - but I got them done with Movie Maker.  Stacia made us a wonderful St. Patrick's day dinner (post to follow), Michael did swallowing exercises, we watched "Leap" and then the kids called it a day. 

I'm on a quest to find alternate planting containers for my seedlings. I refuse to pay for any more trays and have hundreds of seeds to go. Ideas? 

Responses to comments I've heard: 

1. I know you don't think it can be Spring with 2 feet of snow on the ground - but it feels like it. 

2. It is a DRY heat up here - yes, 35*, 40*, feels WARM - and IS shirt-sleeve weather.  I am not being careless with the children's health. 

3. I am planting seeds now to get a jump start on our very short growing season. 

4. Michael is not always left at home working - he stays home as long walks are no longer comfortable for him. When he wants to go, he does and pays the price. He encourages me to go. 

5. Break-up - the time when the snow melts from the mountains and homes and rushes down to creeks and rivers. It's a mess.....and then Spring arrives - or maybe that is spring in Alaska....I've not figured it out.