Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

Winter Lake Harvest

The boys and I enjoyed some time outside together fishing on a frozen lake through holes in the ice. We were successful in our lake harvest, and got a great dose of spring sunshine, just before winter weather returned once again.

Lake Ski

Earlier this week, I acted upon my yearning to go for a lake ski for my seasonal visit to the Hegman Lake Pictographs during a mid-day break from my work at home.

We are experiencing a spring warm-up, which has been delightful! But, warm temps and all of the snow on the lakes can also make this route a slushy mess, especially by mid-day. 

I took a chance and lucked out, the conditions were great!

short video

This outing has become a part of my seasonal rhythms in my life in the Northwoods. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

 

 

Winter Fun

It has been a while since I have posted in this space. We have been busy, enjoying our winter. 

Recently, we have found ourselves returning to some traditions and experiences that had been on hold with the pandemic.

This past weekend the boys participated in ice cutting at our friends' resort. 

It is a fun, work-party environment that, as I wrote in my first article published in Taproot Magazine years ago, keeps alive traditions of the past. 

This past weekend I enjoyed a reinstated annual gathering with some of my friends on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

It was a fun weekend that included nordic and alpine skiing, hiking, and lots of laughs.

It feels so great to be enjoying these experiences again!

January

A hike across a frozen lakeA panoramic shot James took on a recent fat tire bike ride.



Our crazy boys.

As we are making our way through January, we're embracing the snow and cold in this place we call home. 

We're out every day in the snow doing something, whether that is skiing, fat tire biking, sledding, or any of our other outdoor pursuits. 

This is the way we do winter!

Happy New Year!

The winter holidays have come and gone. For us they were an opportunity to gather again with grandparents and cousins.  We also have been enjoying time together as a family on the kids' winter break from school. We have been spending time both nordic and alpine skiing and snowboarding. I have been enjoying the local trails on my fat tire bike too. We have been spending some time indoors together too, watching movies, playing games and putting together a puzzle. We've had a lot of great moments and I am looking for more in the new year ahead! I wish you all who happen upon this digital space who follow along with my occasional ramblings the best too! May 2022 be a blessing to us all.

 

Winter (weather) is here...

The snow and cold have arrived and it is time to enjoy our winter fun activities (and cozy, caffeinated beverages)!

This is what we've been up to in my neck of the woods:

I have been out snowboarding with these two a couple of times already. We learned this sport several seasons ago and have now all developed the skills and confidence to make the experience super FUN! There is something special about snowboarding with your kids.  I am looking forward to many more opportunities as the season progresses.

Fat tire biking is another fun winter activity that I have come to enjoy.  My bike is all set with winter studded tires. We have a newly developed trail system close by, which is a whole additional playground for this fun thing to do.  Frozen lakes and packed-down dogsled trails are also great places I take my fat-tire bike in the winter to get out and explore.

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago before our big snow, but running and hiking are also in my rhythms of outdoor exercise.  I enjoy getting out with my canine hiking/running companion every season of the year on the trails.

And then there are the skinny skis! We have enough snow now for our local trails to be groomed. The kids and I have all been out on our skis, our oldest two will be competing in their first nordic ski race of the season tomorrow.

Needless to say, we have a lot of avenues of winter fun!

 

Around Here...

Around Here...

I spent some time in our backwoods collecting greens to make some evergreen wreaths. Some of these will adorn our homestead and some, spoiler alert, will soon be sent out to family, as gifts they can enjoy throughout the holiday season.  It was a full afternoon of creating, and I enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit by making these while watching the Thanksgiving Food Network shows. It was a perfect day to complete this creative task.

Around Here...

Darkness comes early, which is a great opportunity to observe the night sky on clear days.  We recently checked out a high-powered telescope from our local library and we have been enjoying the moon sightings in a magnified way! 

Around Here...

Winter weather is trying to make its mark. Snow and ice are returning, but at this point, it is still snowing, freezing, and thawing. Soon we will be skiing and on ice, but not quite yet. This morning on a trail run I came across both a frozen pond and open water. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

First Snow

We were blanketed with our first cumulative snowfall today. It is sticking now, but likely to melt away before it stays for the winter season. This year's first snowfall was a couple of weeks after last year's first snow, which is interesting and fun to compare from year to year. 

I have everything ready. A couple of weeks ago I inventoried and organized hats, mitts, boots, and jackets to make sure that everyone had the sizes they needed. We're all eager and excited for the winter snow sports season. We have fun skiing, snowboarding, skating and fat-tire biking. Those experiences are on our horizon!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

Fall!

Fall colors are in full swing. I have been enjoying opportunities to get out and enjoy the autumn with all of my senses ranging from the sights and smells of the fall leaves to the taste of the first soup of the season indoors. I am enjoying the beauty in each day.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

Around Here...

I am enjoying this beautiful time of year by spending time outdoors whenever I can. The gift of flexibility and time during the day is something I appreciate and value. Now in mid-September we have four kids back at school, three kids participating in cross-country, a dad who is home from a successful elk hunting trip, changing leaves, cooler weather, and a blooming garden. Life is good.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?