SPRINGTIME

Ever sat around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends and someone asks that we go around the table and each one say one thing that we are thankful for today? The answer for me today would easily be springtime!

My morning walks to the lake have been exhilarating with the warm breezes blowing and all of the returning sounds and their sound makers getting more numerous each day. What a wonderful time of the year, sitting just about right on the 49^th parallel. I’ve always much appreciated this neck of the woods in the middle of the country at the Canadian Boundary. We get four distinct seasons each year and each approximately three months long. It seems like as one season passes it sets up the next one, none better than the way our cold winters set us up for the warming weather patterns, melting of the snow, and the return of the birds.

Soon the fish will be spawning up the creeks and ditches and the frogs will begin their singing for the New Year. There will be fresh greens of asparagus and fiddlehead ferns before you know it.

For me the sweet joy of springtime is getting better and better as I grow older. Back in college I thought that perhaps, at least in part, true wealth is in developing a rich sense of appreciation. That thought has kind of stuck with me through the years and is now paying dividends.

I’ve been trying to get things tidied up around the shop and storage area to get ready for next seasons sled making. That will be season twenty one for Northern Toboggan & Sled. I’ve got a few sleds and toboggans to put away and inventory of materials to reorganize as well as give my office a good straightening out…but its been a little tough to stay on track with the beautiful weather and all of the distractions of a wonderful springtime going on outside…good Lord there are hundreds upon hundreds of migrating robins around here this morning along with at least a dozen different species of birds singing that showed up the last couple of days…man-o-man its so nice out, I should get that tree trimmed today…