Signs of Spring

While other areas of the country might have blooming daffodils or cherry blossoms to signify Spring, here in Montana we have some other less obvious indicators:

• The ground squirrels or gophers are emerging from hibernation, and Hem is getting his paws and nose dirty digging at their holes.
• The fields around the house have a tiny hint of green, if you look really close.
• There are some sunny days where you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.
• The wind blows. A lot.
• Snow is melting and some trails are now hikeable again.
• The ice in the rivers and lakes is breaking up, making fishing and trying out our new canoe weekend options again...

We took our new-to-us canoe for its inaugural voyage on a lake that is formed from the Missouri about an hour north of our house. We were a little nervous about how Claire would take to the whole idea of sitting still, no standing/jumping/leaning etc. She did great! With her "binoculars" (made from a paper towel roll), she watched some birds, other boats, and almost fell asleep. We hope to try an overnighter with the canoe this summer.

We also took advantage of some melted snow and did a hike at Lewis and Clark State Park near our house.
Views of the Jefferson River.
We are gearing up for a big road trip to Southern Utah and Grand Staircase National Monument. If the weather cooperates, we'll do some hiking and biking while staying at a rustic yurt just outside the Monument. Stay tuned for some scenic pics from that trip!