Spring is Here! Spring Is HERE!!

OK – not really but what a beautiful week! The pineapple express (fronts from Hawaii) has been wonderful. We have had sun for the last 5 days in a row. The days are getting longer and the temperatures have been above freezing capping it off with 48 degrees today. I didn’t use a jacket, earmuffs or gloves while running errands. It was nice being able to ignore the 30 minute prep time needed to go out in the cold. I was tempted to put on shorts but instead opened the windows to let fresh air in. Sunrises and sunsets have been perfect. The mountains glow orange during both.

Of course, Robert was out of town this week. He has probably missed the one nice week for the winter as it is supposed to get cold and snowy tonight. Temperatures are headed back to normal which means all of the melted snow will turn back to ice and be very dangerous.

Squirt and I had a small celebration Wednesday as Squirt turned 10 years old. He got to go on a long walk, have a couple of white chocolate covered dog biscuits and a rawhide chew. Our family will celebrate in style tomorrow night after Daddy gets home with t-bone steaks. (Squirt gets the bones.) Robert has searched high and low in Houston for the perfect squeak toy. Yes – this year, Squirt’s birthday present will be imported. I will have to wrap it tonight after Squirt goes to bed so he doesn’t know what it is. He has very good hearing and this is very hard to get away with.

We have also spent several hours over these warm days working on the driveway trying to get some of the packed ice removed. This morning, while I was breaking ice and toting it off, Squirt was sitting regally surveying his property and neighborhood. Sometimes he likes to sit on the front porch where no pesky snow banks block his view. Today for some reason, the best spot was in the middle of the driveway on an ice floe with puddles of water around him. Don’t you wonder what makes dogs tick? He was perfectly happy just a little wet. I on the other hand was tired and potentially cranky for a few minutes but managed to clear about a third of the ice.

Once again, I have the late shift for the airport run. As I have commented before, in the winter the only planes into and out of Anchorage occur in the middle of the night. Tonight is no exception and the plane is already late and I am already yawning. One of these days, I will fall asleep and be awakened by a ringing phone and the words “where are you”. That won’t make for a good pick up run. :)

I can’t wait for spring to get here!

(PS – no update on Squirt’s Limo as our past favorite neighbor affectionately nicknamed the 4-runner. What a long drawn out process.)