Out through the in door...

Old Man Winter is going out the same as he came in... Cold, Hard, and Nasty.  Sorry the photos aren't pretty.  Somewhere winter lost its luster.

And it is still snowing... Drat

Drat

Drat

a one horse open sleigh...

No, it hasn't snowed again (though I guess we are supposed to get a foot on Sunday).  I'm talking one horse open sleighs, because a few months ago we bought one at an auction.  The weather was too crummy to bring it home, but today was the perfect day.  In fact, it was so nice I took a ride in our new sleigh, only I had about 300 horses driving it:)

It is made of wicker and has swans heads carved on the skis.

 I don't know about one horse, but it is certainly a one person sleigh.

I think it is a nice addition to our porch.

If we get any snow I may seriously consider hooking Ella up.  I will finally be able to harness that winter energy.

Can you say mush?

Out on the prairie...

We got up early Saturday and went turkey hunting on the prairie.  Kelly hunts while I carry things, take photos, and look for deer sheds.   It was great fun.  We saw two different sets of birds.  One group disappeared after an owl landed in the tree near them.  The other group gave us a great show, but was too far away for a good shot.  That is ok.  We enjoyed watching them and it was wonderful sitting out on the prairie and listening to the Meadowlarks.   The earth smelled fresh.  The birds put on a beautiful show.  The best part was the serene sunrise provided by Mother Nature.

I am disappointed that this picture didn't turn out.  These sharp tailed grouse were dancing like crazy.  They didn't even care we were there.  Unfortunately, it was impossible to get a good photo, because they were so darn fast.  Just trying to get the camera on them was almost impossible.  The one below did stop and pose.

 The funniest part was coming home to these bad boys in the back yard.  

We sure had a great day.  Spring has finally sprung.  I hope everyone had a Happy Easter.  

April Fools...

Mother Nature got me.  It was in the 50's and 60's all last week.  Yesterday I was in my floppy hat and cleaning out the flowerbeds that were melted off.  My tulips were even starting to peek out.  The Goldfinches had turned a cheery yellow.  Bountiful Baskets had supplied lemons and I was looking forward to lemonade on the porch.  Ha, a sucker is born every minute...

 It snowed again.

 It is back to about 15 degrees.

He looks like I feel.  Drat.

back in the saddle again...

I guess I'm coming out of my winter doldrums.  Not that it is melting here, mind you, but I did see bluebirds at work.  I was in a bit of a funk for awhile.  I am snapping out of it.  I'm back to baking, started some seeds, shoveled and chipped my way into the greenhouse, and back to making Pinterest projects.  Here are a couple of my Pinterest baking projects:

MANDY’S TRIPLE CHOCOLATE KAHLUA CAKE

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 box chocolate pudding

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1 cup chocolate chips

4 eggs

Flour a chocolate cake pan with cocoa so it won’t show after baking

½ cup oil

½ cup water

½ cup kahlua

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl. Bake in a Bundt pan that has been greased and floured for 40 to 50 minutes at 325. Make topping. Remove from oven and while warm, pour topping over cake.

http://sumptuousliving.net/mandys-triple-chocolate-kahlua-cake/

Rosemary Sea Salt Flat Bread

1 3/4 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 extra sprigs

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing

Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Method

Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F with a sturdy baking sheet on the middle rack.

Sift flour into a medium bowl and add chopped rosemary, baking powder and salt. Make a well in centre, then add water and oil and stir with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Knead dough gently on a clean work surface until you have a nice ball (doesn’t require much kneading).

Divide dough into three pieces, setting aside two of them in plastic wrap. Roll out your remaining dough on a sheet of baking paper until the dough is thin and in a shape you like (I went for oval, because I am bad at rolling and that’s just what happened).

Brush the top with extra oil and lightly press some extra rosemary leaves into the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. Gently lift your baking paper and dough onto your pre-heated baking sheet and pop in the oven until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer flatbread to a rack to cool, discarding baking paper.

http://simpleprovisions.com.au/2012/12/10/rosemary-and-sea-salt-flatbread/

My chamomile is up and so is the spinach I planted last fall.  The greenhouse is maintaining a pretty warm temperature.  Today it was in the 90s. 

I have faith spring is around the corner.  Thank goodness.  I know I am ready.

Traditions...

We have an early spring tradition at our cabin.  As you may have noticed, the snow on the prairie melts well before the snow in the hills.  Thus, our tradition was created.  Every spring when our spirits are low because the weather is warm, but there is still too much snow to do anything, we take a day long road trip.  The beautiful thing about the hills is that we are surrounded by diverse landscapes.   A day long road trip can take us to the Badlands of Wall, the crazy rock formations around Custer, the prairie of Wyoming, and the river bottoms of the Belle Fourche River.  This time we decided to go up to Belle Fourche, over to Hullett, down to Devil's Tower, past Sundance, to Spearfish, and through the winding Spearfish Canyon.  It was great to get out and do something other than shoveling.

 There were some nice ranches on the trip.

 I wish I knew the story behind this little place.

 The deer and antelope were plentiful.

 This was an abandon coal mine.  There was a nice walking path around it.

 Devil's Tower is amazing.  I like the pivot in the foreground.

and the skies are not cloudy all day!

 Then it was back to reality.  Still it was a nice little trip.  It lifted our spirits.