Thunder In February?

Bike man and I were being watched today.  Watched by a bunch of curious deer!

It was our morning to be out salt monitoring the creeks/streams in Menomonie.  At one point the sky opened up with heavy rain and claps of thunder.  What?  It's February and we're suppose to be dealing with snow storms, not thunder and rain.  With all that rain came heavy runoff from the streets and the melting snow. Of course the streams were all measuring high levels of salt.  

The monitoring Bike man has been doing over the last five years is through a program run by the DNR.  The city of Menomonie really benefits from all of Bike man's dedication and they have even made some changes to deal with street drainage or runoff.  So, it used to be I would just go out with him on a weekend because I worked full-time, but now I'm able to go out with him whenever he needs to check the streams.  Anything that gets me outdoors, I really love.....especially when I can take photos!

PS.  It's 9 pm and still 41 degrees outdoors.  Weird

Oh no, the Snow is Melting

Just a quiet day today.  Bike man is feeling under the weather, so we were both content to not plan any projects today.  I did my usual 3 mile run in the morning and then headed out for a quick snowshoe hike this afternoon.

My snowshoeing actually turned out to be about 2 hours of hiking!  The weather was so mild that I just wanted to stay outdoors.  Found a new tree with enormous woodpecker holes....the woodpeckers are really plentiful in the woods.

Can you believe it's still 38 degrees tonight?  I'm really afraid our snow will be melting fast.  My snowshoeing hikes might be limited from now on unless we get a snowstorm soon.  Rain is forecasted for tomorrow, which is really unusual for February in Wisconsin.

Might have to get out my hiking boots and ditch the snowshoes!

Afternoon With Friends

How lucky am I?  I had two buddies to snowshoe with today.

Caryn, on the right, is the landowner (and our friend) that lets me snowshoe on her 80 acres.  Her sister-in-law Judy, on the left, just happened to be visiting this week from Seattle.  Judy told me she is used to snowshoeing only in the mountains in Washington, so this was a treat for her to walk out the door and have access to snowshoeing trails.

So, after two hours of walking through the woods, you have to replenish your body!  Thanks Caryn and Judy for the Merlot, cheese, apples, brie, baguette and olives.  I also brought over a couple savory scones from our local food co-op. Such a nice afternoon to spend with friends and enjoy the warm sunshine.

Warming Temperatures This Week

35 degrees today with sunshine, clouds and a northwest wind.  I still went out snowshoeing by myself this afternoon....loved the quietness and the sound of the wind.  Look at this old tree in the photo.

Wow, I found a puff ball on the trail!  A puff ball is actually a fungi.....did you know that? I also spotted fox and otter tracks while snowshoeing today.  One of the best things about winter is tracking the animals tracks in the snow. 

Enjoying winter and embracing the beauty....only in Wisconsin.

Layered Enchiladas Made Easy

I LOVE, LOVE making enchiladas!  Chicken, beef or vegetarian enchiladas are my specialty.  I always make sure I have corn and flour tortillas in my refrigerator and lots of enchilada sauce in my pantry.  I thought I would highlight my easy layered enchiladas that can be made quickly, when you're are in a rush.  Just make sure you have corn tortillas, hamburger, onions, peppers, cheddar cheese and enchilada sauce on hand.  If you make your own red roasted tomato sauce or enchilada sauce, that is wonderful and I want your recipe!!!!

  

For now, I purchase the Frontera sauce for making enchiladas or tacos.  The roasted tomatoes and red chilies' are amazing.  Would you like my recipe?  Checkout my Turtle Recipes in the top menu.

Lake Menomin Park

It felt cold today, but it was probably due to a steady 15 mph wind blowing from the South and a high of 21 degrees.  The sun was shining one minute and then snow flurries the next minute.  No snow accumulation, just fluffy snow blowing around leaving a very light coating on everything.  

Enjoyed this Valentine's Day snowshoeing with my hubby.  What a better way to spent the day with the one you love, right?  Several hours outdoors taking in the sun, fresh cool air and a little exercise.  That equals a perfect day for me. 

We choose to snowshoe at the Lake Menomin park behind the 3M plant near Menomonie, Wisconsin.  This is a great park that contains 151 acreas of woods, prairie, some low-wet areas and easy hill climbs along Lake Menomin.   

You have your choice of single-track bike trails to hike or double wide trails.  We saw some bicycle tracks out on the trails today, so someone is biking on their Fat bike.  If you've never seen a Fat bicycle, do a Google search.  The tires are enormous and give you a "floaty" ride on snow-covered roads or trails.  Someday I hope Bike man and I can both purchase a Fat bike to cycle in the winter months!  This particular single-track trail in the photo was snaking in and around these really old trees along the lakeshore....so cool.

I think it's really interesting that you can find an open creek with flowing water during the winter months.  There's enough current that keeps this creek open, even in subzero temperatures.  The ducks love this area since the water is open all-year round.  We kicked up several ducks that were hanging around in the water.

I really enjoy this park and it's new to me since this is only the second time I've been here.  I believe this park has slowly been developed over the last ten years, and they are still adding new single-track for bicycling and hiking.  I do have one complaint however.  We watched a woman pull up in the parking lot, and get out of the car with her dog.  Her dog crapped like three times while she was heading down the  trail.  She didn't even stop to pick up the dog poop and bag it.  Ya know, there is nothing more frustrating when you're hiking, snowshoeing or skiing.....and that's avoiding dog poop.  Maybe the County should put a sign up that says, "this is NOT a dog park."!!!  I don't have anything against dogs, but I just don't like stepping in their crap.  I wish people would be more considerate.  Ok, that's my rant for the week.  I hope you had a great day as well.  Thanks for reading.

Thankful

Yes, feeling thankful.  After five days in Southwest Wisconsin, I traveled back home to the north woods today.  My parents are doing good, but just waiting now for my dad's next surgery on March 2.  I'll be back to help the folks in 2 1/2 weeks.  It's tough with cancer....appointments, monitoring, surgery, pain and just trying to live a normal life.  I'm thankful my dad isn't going through chemo or radiation because that would totally rob him of a somewhat normal life.  I told my dad that after this surgery to remove more tumors in his bladder, he can then enjoy a wonderful summer, with NO APPOINTMENTS!  For now, we won't think about the fall months.  Just take one month at a time.

When I arrived home today, Bike man pointed out our amaryllis was blooming.  There are still more unopened blossoms just waiting to open. Don't you just love the color?  

And my sweet little Annabelle!  She was so happy to see me, along with the other three felines.  My BIG cat Aiden hasn't left my side since I got home.  He is my 24 pound lap cat!!!  Zero degrees outside, no problem.  Aiden will keep me warm....better than a blanket ya know!

PS.  28 years ago today, Bike man and I welcomed our son Christopher in our lives.  I thought for sure I was having another baby girl, but was totally surprise to give birth to a baby boy!  Love you Chris....we are so proud of you.