Changing Seasons

And Then It Was Mud Season...

With the ski resorts closing up shop for the winter, we enter Mud Season – a love-hate time of year for Jackson locals. I have been a bit nervous just listening to the name of the season - never been a real fan of mud (although it was a good excuse to invest in a cute pair of Hunter Boots)! Many local folks have headed out of town for the next few weeks or months. A good number of the in-town restaurants and shops have closed. Those of us "left behind" to endure the mud season do get to enjoy the two for one specials that are offered at many of the remaining open restaurants/bars. I will happily consider it "No Cooking Season!"

Looking Ahead....

Soon we get to welcome some long awaited sun and warm weather (okay and snow, rain and sleet - I'll be honest). We won't be able to fully enjoy the warmer temps until the 6-foot snow banks begin to melt. But if you get creative, there are reportedly many activities to be enjoyed during this in-between time of year, so we aren't planning on sitting around like "sticks in the mud!"

We have purchased Snow shoes and continue climbing the Ski Resort Mountain - only on foot/snow shoe, instead of on lifts! The great thing is that we can bring Bella with us - she loves it! Here are some pics from our first time out - does it look like the snow is almost melted to you...where is Spring?

Lifts are closed, but that doesn't stop us!

Look at this beautiful Spring Day!

We made it to our destination - Casper Restaurant (approx. 1,046 vertical feet). As we arrived a huge spring storm, with winds and blowing snow, moved in. Sure wish the restaurant would have been open so we could duck in and grab some hot chocolate and wait out the storm!

For our Kansas City KU Jayhawk fans - they live well out here in JH (yes, this is just their vacation home I believe)!!!

One advantage that I can already attest to is that Mud Season equals Big Birds! Although Mud Season, with blustery, intermittently blue sky and freezing rain, chases some folks away to warm dry areas, the big birds come back! I have already spotted Bald Eagles, Red Tail Hawks, Canadian Geese, Trumpeter Swans and huge Owls in our neighborhood. And the "bird banter" that we wake up to each morning is a welcome sign that Spring is here (minus the flowers and warm weather)! I will be on the lookout for many more returning birds to join the beautiful Magpies that we have enjoyed all winter.

Magpie (my favorite JH Bird)



These guys hang out just out our back door - much easier for me to take than the Moose who used to hang out there!

 

These beautiful Trumpeter Swans live in a pond adjacent to Melody Ranch. The photographer who shot this picture is a friend of mine who cooks with me at church on Wednesday nights - great cook too!

Spring IS in the air...here are some clues:

1. The Master's was on TV

Wow, for some reason everything looked greener to us at the Master's this year...

I guess because this is was our view when we looked out the window at commercial breaks!



Bella LOVES sports (maybe it is because they all have some type of ball). She would bring her bed downstairs and cuddle up in front of the TV and just stare at it! Fetching Tiger Woods drive would be good exercise for her!!!

2. There is always some type of precipitation falling here. It can be rain, snow, sleet, "SNAIN" (which I found out is a combo snow/rain), and "Thunder Snow" - yes, our thunderstorms come in the form of snow instead of rain.

If there is not some type of "Precipitation Event," happening (ie. the sun is shining) then you have to beware of the ice/snow melting from the rooftops and dripping, or worse yet falling in large shards, on you.
Yes, life out here continues to be an adventure!

3. Flowers are blooming!!!!

I spotted these at a storefront in town this week...the only flowers I have seen!

Flowers are blooming in all sorts of colors!

CURE FOR MUD SEASON BLUES:
Barry & I have found that Mud Season can be a bit of a challenge at times. The weather is constantly changing, therefore our plans are constantly changing. And that can cause our mood to be constantly changing too. So we have found a temporary solution...

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MUD...EAT MUD PIE ICE CREAM!

The good news is that we have not had to mow our grass, turn on the A/C (oh, that's right, we don't have one out here), trim the bushes or plant the spring flowers yet.
The bad news - we just ran out of Mud Pie Ice Cream!