Thank you very much for your get well wishes! Between travel and flu attacks, I feel like I've been living in some sort of bizarre time warp for the past month or so, and am really looking forward to a good dose of normal. There's been one happy modification to the definition of 'normal' around here. While I was busy sneezing in another time in a far away galaxy, great changes took place in our backyard and I'm happy to announce that water, hot and cold, once again flows from our taps. Hooray! After four months without running water, it became apparent that the well wasn't sufficient for much of the year, and we now have a clever lake water filtration system. So not only can I now breathe through my nose, I can shower too. Now that's the life.
As I was pondering these strokes of luck on Saturday, I gazed out to the window and found that a new landscape had been painted. The lake is never static and never, ever dull.
There were two curious lumps of snow resting on the ice, which turned out to be a pair of migrating whopper swans. I crunched my way over to them on the frozen ground too excitedly, and they hurried along on their southward journey.
Some little dogs were happy about the fresh sheet of ice too. The lake in the summer is a menacing place for certain furry creatures, but in the winter it's nothing but a vast playing field. (Not to worry, he's standing near the shore over shallow water.)
The temperature has risen again and all the traces of ice have vanished. This swelling, freezing, and frosting with brief, warm intervals will continue for a little while still. Then the lake will be covered in thick ice and snow and our winter adventures will begin!



