We dusted off, well shoveled actually, about 3 feet of HEAVY snow from the playground and put it to use. (My back, neck, and shoulder sure killed me after that). We've been hiking on the river and at Creamer's Field. We've gone sledding. We've been enjoying a Finnish kick sled that Grandma Linda and Papa Greg sent to us in the mail as a birthday gift to the boys. And I've even taken out my skis a couple of times. The Yukon Quest dogsled racers have arrived safely in Fairbanks, and The Fairbanks International Ice Festival starts next week.
It's that time of year again where the sun is bright and the days are "just long enough." We alternate between clear blue skies of -40F and cloudy, snowy days of +20F. On the colder days, the sun is finally strong enough to heat up the air during the day about 20-30 degrees. We find ourselves outside now more than we do in the fall.
I remember hiking with my friend Bobbi at Creamer's two winters ago when both of our boys were one. It was a warm, spring (winter) afternoon and we hiked and hiked for hours with our sleeping boys on our backs. Last February, during an warmer than average winter, we and our friends played on the river for hours. There's no better feeling, as a kid, to be bundled in comfy snow gear and fall asleep in a carseat, backpack or to zone out while a parent pulls you on a sled.
When you come inside from the cold, you're so sleepy and warm with cheeks so red that nothing sounds better than a nap.
