Detroit Zoo, 4/1

No fooling (to be honest I've always hated the concept of April Fool's Day), it was practically summer at the zoo today. All through March I tentatively predicted at least one more major snow fall, and in the end I believe we received exactly zero inches of snow for the whole month. Now here we are on the first day of April sweating in shorts and t-shirts and reaching for ice cream during an afternoon at the zoo. I still won't hold my breath—snow in April is always a possibility in Michigan—but could it be that spring is really here?

Project 365, days 78-84

A weekend spent in the early spring of northern Michigan, soaking up time with Aunt Lonnie and surrounded by nature and wildlife—a very calming trip; a haircut done by mommy; the last day of art class; nature at our doorstep—a kildeer visiting our feeder.

Up north in spring

Last Thursday, as I chatted with the bakery ladies about the beautiful weather we were looking forward to having over the weekend, I realized that spring is not really the ideal time to head north. In the summer it's a cool break from hot weather, in the fall the vast spanses of trees provide a beautiful display of color, and in the winter the thick snow covering nothern pines brings a festive feel to any trip, but in the spring the thaw is generally behind ours here in "the south", the blooms come later, and brisk temperatures linger long after we have packed away our winter jackets at home. But spring is spring no matter where you are, and time well spent with family is always a boon to overworked spirits, so north we went for a long weekend in Harbor Springs.

Jon's dad once said that he felt a weight lift from his shoulders as soon as he was north of the Zilwaukee Bridge. My "weight lifting" latitude is a little farther north in Westbranch (that's where the traffic lightens and the distance between towns lengthens), but I fully agree with the sentiment. And when we got north we were met with a rather welcome surprise—an upgrade in the weekend's weather report from cold and rainy to chilly and sunny. We hadn't counted on spending time outside, but with such improved weather we found ourselves taking nature walks, going for outdoor runs, and even doing a little shopping in town. Jon got quite a bit of work done, since the long weekend was gained by promising some work "from home", and I completed a lot of sewing, and sewing lessons. We stayed up late watching home shows and movies, we napped and enjoyed snacks after mornings spent out and about, we ate good food, and we accomplished much. It may have been chillier than it was at home, but it was at least as beautiful, and the company was twice as good.

Project 365, days 71-77

Started the week by exploring the nature in our yard: a wasps' nest left from last year, and the tulips just peaking out of the ground and I spent the weekend scrapping in the woods of northern Michigan, a gift from my husband, son, and mother. The rest of the week was just a beautiful: a St. Patrick's Day craft, a day at the zoo, pets napping on the stairs (nobody got hurt), and revisiting the yard toys.

Zoo days are here again

The weather has been unbelievable as of late. On Tuesday, with temperatures reaching near 60, Calvin and I spent our day at the Detroit Zoo. This is the best time of the year for the zoo—if you don't mind the occasional mating dance, the animals are the most active in the spring before the heat has set in but after the cold has passed, and the zoo is uncrowded yet warm enough to enjoy. I think this is the first time that Calvin and I have gone to the zoo as just the two of us, and I think it might become our favorite new weekday activity. At least until the schools get out, that is.

The otter was sleeping. I think I have about a dozen other pictures just like this.

The female tiger was busy. Jon and I remember the year she was born—the year we first joined the ranks of zoo membership, six years ago.

The peacock joined us for our picnic lunch, even though we didn't share.

And we took the time to stop in the butterfly house on our way out of the park. We don't usually hit any of the indoor attractions, but now that we have our own butterfly garden at home Calvin thought we might get some pointers from the zoo's butterfly garden, so we stopped. So beautiful.