Spring progression

The wind rattles last year's tall grasses

and scatters aspen fluff along the ground.

Fuzzy bits are greening up - slowly.

Snow is in the air, only in the air.

Signs of Spring: fuzz & more

Signs of Spring:

Along with robins & pussywillows, I see

flocks of twittery birds swooping about,

toads hopping across the road at night,

green blades of grass in the sea of brown,

fuzzy buds dangling from the aspen trees.

rock skis

Last Sunday:

Skiing. Squinting. Sweat mixed with sunscreen.

And... a break-through.

The skiing is done for this year.

Because you never know what you'll see in Ely, Minnesota, here are a couple more photos from last Sunday. Seeing the lake with this much water verified my decision that I had just skied for the last time this year.

Moments later I heard a crusty motor rumble down to the launchpad. Cruising onto the lake, this jeep vehicle spun donuts and jetted off towards the sunset.

One more ski? Now that we've had this week of 60's & 70's... No.

from my archive

breaking down

reaching up

honor the way, this day and every day.

skating long shadows

pull laces tight over double layer socks

wobble and walk on thin blades to grace

glide then twirl,

playing the long shadows of winter

A few days ago rusty skates were pulled from the discard pile. After wobbling to the ice with laces tightened to now-tender ankles, the rust quickly wore away...