If you look hard, you can indeed find signs of spring.
At my house, last weekend I put away the snowflake lights and collection of snowmen. That means I'm officially done wishing for snow, until next November.
Girl Scout cookies arrived.
On an early morning walk, we heard birds. Before daylight-savings time kicked in, it actually was getting light out at the end of our morning walk. We haven't seen daylight that early since September.
It's staying lighter later. How nice it was Monday not only to go into a meeting in daylight, but to come out to daylight as well.
Here was my family's strategy to not feel like we lost an hour of sleep last weekend. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, we set our clocks an hour ahead. After watching "The Game Plan" (a pretty cute family movie), I told my daughters it was 11 p.m. and time for bed. It was really only 10 p.m.
I don't know, but it seemed to work for us. We got up early Sunday morning for church, and I don't believe any of us was even the least bit crabby. And only one of us took a long Sunday afternoon nap. (It wasn't me.)
We've all noticed that Easter candy has been out in full force since Valentine's Day, and probably even before Valentine's Day.
Recently I perused some advertisement books for Easter dresses. Little girls in sleeveless dresses were looking adorable in bare feet on green grass.
I looked longingly at the green grass, and thought, "Anyone who wears that Easter dress around here will have to cover it up with a long winter coat and boots."
I'm sure Easter Sunday will be warm (we're so used to below zero temperatures, anything above zero feels like a heat wave), but I sincerely doubt we'll see any green grass around here just quite yet. There's a good chance area Easter egg hunts will be done in the snow.
Pequot Lakes High School sports fans had an exciting winter season. We enjoyed following the Revolution dance team to state, and the girls' basketball team to the section final. Look out for that team next year.
The wrestling team had some hard knocks, but still sent three individuals to state, and the hockey team had an impressive season.
Only the boys' basketball team is still in action, assuming the team won its Tuesday night game. If not, look out for that young team next year, as well.
Also, a PLHS Knowledge Bowl team is heading to regional competition, and the speech team continues to bring home ribbons.
Anyone who complains that there's nothing to do in the lakes area in winter had better think again. I can't remember the last weekend I had off work.
There was last weekend's Polar Plunge in Breezy Point. There's this weekend's St. Patrick's Day celebration and parade in Crosslake.
Nisswa celebrated winter with the annual Jaycees Winter Jubilee. Pequot Lakes hosted antique snowmobiles on a bitterly cold weekend. Gull Lake was the site of golf holes on ice as part of the Frozen Fore. Moonlite Bay in Crosslake featured nine holes of golf on ice in the Ice Tee Tournament.
All you need is a warm pair of Sorels, some long underwear, heavy coat, thick hat and warm gloves to enjoy these events and fight off cabin fever.
Before we know it, spring really will be here.
