Mud!

There's mud on OHR!  The ground, where it's bare anyway is thawing.  There's still snow covering the ground in most of Hawkeye, especially around my house, but the road is bare and slushy with mud.  Very exciting.  The ice on the lake was only 11 inches thick when Joe measured it earlier, so I'm thinking we'll have an early ice-out.  The weather for the next several days is supposed to be definite thawing weather.  I'll be in Rhode Island for the next week--leaving tomorrow morning--but predictions for the weather here look fine, just fine.  I usually worry about frozen pipes when I go away in March, but aside from some snow there doesn't seem to be much for me to worry about.  It's 41 right now and lovely.

I went to Plattsburgh today, just ran some errands.  It was a quick & efficient trip, but I foolishly forgot it was Tuesday and went to the Redford dump.  It's not open on Tuesdays, duh, so I had to go to the "big" dump with my garbage.  Boy did I feel dumb.  No harm done but the dogs didn't get the biscuits they've come to welcome when I pack up the garbage and head to the dump.

I leave for my mother's house tomorrow morning.  I'll drop the dogs off at the kennel at 8:30 and head out from there.  The kennel is not at all on the way but it's a good kennel and they like my dogs so there I go.  I won't worry (much) about them, they've been there several times and don't seem to mind when I drop them off, and they're never terribly enthusiastic to see me when I pick them up.  The last time they were there the owner told me that they'd figured out how to use the dog door so went in and out of the run all the time.  Let's see if they remember that.

I actually started packing today, very strange for me.  My usual routine is to pack in the morning just before I leave.  This time I have a lot of things to take along that I don't usually have, so I'm getting organized and piling things up.  I'm taking 5 pounds of Lake Champlain perch, which I bought a while ago and have frozen.  I'm thinking we'll have that for dinner on Friday night and am taking an electric frying pan for cooking.  Hopefully there will be enough for another serving on Monday so my sister and her family can enjoy them too.

Needless to say I'm looking forward to the next week.  I'll see my sister, her husband and daughter, a big treat.  They are among my favorite people.  Jenica will be there, along with her family, and it will be a great time I'm sure.