Blue Skies & Sunshine!

 The last time we'd seen the sun was Saturday the 20th of the month.  From Sunday, until yesterday afternoon at 2:42 p.m. we'd had six straight days of gray skies, cold temperatures & fog.  It seemed to be the longest stretch of gray I can remember to date.  When the sun finally broke through - it was a Haleigha moment!

North from Malvern~

The sky was crystal clear last night & the temperature dropped down to 18.  All the snow on the ground froze again.  This morning though, things warmed quickly.  After lunch, Finn & I drove to Malvern to get in a walk on the trail.  

Parked at the Depot~

I'd planned to park at the pond but had forgotten the area is closed until March first.  I ended up leaving from the Depot.  Even with all the gravel, it was soft & mucky.  I carried Finn over to the hard surface.

Finn hears something~

Finn loves the snow, especially since the temperature has climbed above freezing.  He was out in the backyard this morning, running around on top of the frozen crust.  These past several days would warm just enough to keep the snow at a slow melt.  It was the texture of a slushy - slippery & wet.

Soon to fill with houses~

We hadn't been on the trail since the 7th, when we'd gone out with Mari Jo & Gracie.  We walked at home, but slogging through the deep snow wasn't much fun.  We were moving right along when Finn came to a sudden stop!  He was looking further down the trail at something.

Finn's new friends :-)

I picked out what had caught his attention!  A snowman family!  It was sure cute the way he looked at the faces.  He checked out & sniffed each one before moving on.

Corn Stubble in the fields~

It was a simply stunning day!  This is about the earliest in the year I've returned to this section of the trail.  The roads are still a sloppy mess & most nights all the water from the on-going melt re-freezes.

Windswept Snow~

We could both walk out on the crust of the snow in the field above.  Even with the upcoming 40-degree days, it's going to take a while for all of it to melt off.  We turned back at Jahnke Road, but the trail had been plowed further & was as very wet.  I've got to hope no one is trying to ride on it.  Walking on the soft limestone is treacherous enough.

Trail entrance to the park~

The concrete walk to the picnic shelter hadn't been plowed, since the park is closed anyway.  People do walk in from the trail. It's a beautiful spot - any time of year.

Frozen, low pond~

Finn & I walked in to get a photo of the pond.  The water level is still a long way from recovering, after another dry summer.  I like to think all the snow has helped, which it has.  But seeing this makes me realize how much more moisture we need.

Below, we're almost back to the depot.  Heartland keeps an anhydrous tank off to the right & equipment on both sides of the trail.  Agriland, where Butch used to work, is just a way down the road.  By the time we returned to the Explorer, we'd walked three miles round trip. If we'd gone to the end of the concrete just south, we might have gained another 1/2 mile.  I remembered my Garmin today.  Finn has 16 trail miles so far :-)

Small spot of red to the left is the Explorer~

 I haven't been on my bike since December 7th.  A combination of freezing cold temps & snow.  Last year by the end of January, I'd managed four rides at Lake Manawa & one short unsuccessful attempt on the trail.  In February, I also made four rides there.  I've said it before - each year can bring totally different weather patterns - or so it seems.

It was great to feel the warmth of the sun & walk out in the country. With the weather warming this week, I think most of the snow will be clear around the State Park, so I hope to get Smokey's wheels going round & round soon!