Well it doesn’t sound like March will go out any easier than it came in.  So I am hoping for rain tomorrow, and not more sleet and snow.  We saw enough of that this weekend in Milwaukee.  That was messy!  But we spent a little time with Mom and got to spend an evening with good friends John and Mary.  So that was great even with the weather.

Sunday we took a nice ride over to Sparta, had a nice meal there and spent the night.  This morning we dropped off hunting applications at the Sparta Post Office for post mark today, and then drove home to work.

So we had a good weekend.  relaxing, now back to work but will get some relaxing in this week.   We are supposed to go out with some old friends in Green Bay tomorrow night, but will need to monitor the weather.   And Thursday night we are driving to Minneapolis.  Chris has a convention and I have some companies I work with to visit.  And possibly get to see my nephew while Chris is doing her thing.  And home on Sunday.

It was 18 degees driving back this morning, and we still have ice on the lake.  Although the river side is open and there has been some shifting.  So there is a little bit of water in front of us where it split.   So still hoping for spring, but I filled up the wood pile tonight just in case.

OK,  we have had much better weather and it has felt great.    And most of the snow in the driveway Was melted.   But this morning is a reminder this IS Wisconsin!  All White during the night.  But we are hoping for a quick melt.

Still lot’s of ice on the lake.   The pontoon poles that we tie off to have been bent over by the ice again this winter, so I started jacking those out this week and hope to complete that this weekend.  It is much easier to get them out with solid ice to work on than in the water.   And I think check the chimney cap for a cleaning today, and put the hitch in the truck.  That is a sign of Spring.  When I moved the trailers next to the garage in the fall I thought the ground where the water was hooked up and gotten solid.  Wrong, when my trailer sunk in a couple of feet!  So it is in rather awkward, and when the rest of the snow pile is gone in the driveway I will move the trailer and have a truck load of screenings delivered.   I can put down a couple of feet of screenings and then drive over that and compress it down.  Eventually I will have more room to park next to the garage since the well casing is gone now.

Life seems busy but good.  We continue to have jobs in a tough economy and are blessed to be able to go out to eat or cocktails when we want.  St Patricks day I went to a town board meeting instead of the pub – I am not sure that was mentally better for me,  but physically I probably survived better.  We hopefully are on track to get a new road in before July, which will be welcome.  But still are dealing with water issues on our road,  but progress is being made there.  We do have some upcoming trips planned to Florida Detroit and Chris to New Mexico.  And Sparta and Hayward on the list also.  So the next months will go quickly.   And weekends to see Mom in Milwaukee in between.

We hope your life is good!

And it does not seem to let up!  Officially over 7 inches yesterday,  and most of my driveway seemed like more.   We did have some melting today, but by Wednesday night it is supposed to be close to zero,  again.   This is March?

So we try to keep busy to think about having some fun.  Last week the Fox Valley celebrated the return of Schlitz and had a party at one of my favorite places,   which I made some time to attend.  I bowled that night and my bowling suffered after having several good nights!  Oh well.  And the last couple of Friday’s we have volunteered at ST Raphael’s fish fry.  They run all through lent.  They have had record breaking nights.  Usually the first night is the slowest, they served 725 last year on the first night.  This year we served over 900 and ran out of baked haddock, baked potato’s, french fries,  potato salad, macaroni and cheese, bread!  And last week they served over 1100, the food was better stocked but still were running out of things at the end of the night.

Saturday night I volunteered with my homebrew club at Hops and Props, a fund raiser at the EAA museum.  A great place to have an event.  And 5 bands and lot’s of great beers.  Needless to say I had a great time.   Chris picked me up at a local establishment after she reminded me that the clocks were moving ahead that night and we had to get up in the morning.

Sunday we went to 9 am mass and afterwards met a number of the neighbors at Robbins restaurant for brunch.  They have very good food and selection and it is nice to get to talk to some of the people who we don’t see much of during the winter!  It’s not like I stop outside to talk much in this weather!

And then of course came the snow.   We are hoping that Spring will really come this year.   We plan to visit MJ and John at the end of April.  No Florida trips currently on the calendar – although I sure would like to be there!

Another cold week goes by.   At least the sun is feeling warmer these days,  but the air is so cold today you need to sit in the window like Sassy.  This is waaaay too cold for March 1st.  And I hate cold.     I did go out ice fishing for a few hours yesterday afternoon.  With the sun on the shack it got very warm out there.  But there was very little wind yesterday.  Much windier out of the north today, and I think colder.  Only 10 degrees at 1 pm  They say the end of the week may be better, and of course snow or rain.  But I’ll take that rather than the cold.

Friday night Chris and I worked at the fish fry at St Rapheal’s.  They had more people than they have ever had for a first night of the season.  And we ran out of baked potatoes, baked haddock, macoroni and cheese, potato salad.   Have to have more next week!  They served over 900.

I did get Chris’s computer fully up and running.  Just finished with some network computers.  A friend (thanks Tom) reformatted the drive and installed Windows XP (instead of the Vista it came with.   And I bought a new upgrade of Lap Link PC mover software.  I had to clean up some registry issues to get it to install on the old computer.  But then everything transferred over to the new computer. Even the network settings so I did not need to redo those.   So I think we have her all set now, her work accounts seem to be working fine.  And I asked her to use FireFox more than Internet explorer, so she needs to reset her book marks.  But the Acer seems very fast.  And it helps all the garbage that comes installed on a new computer is no longer there and I tried not to transfer those from the old one.   Now the old one goes to Florida. The backlight of the notebook monitor is out, but we can use the auxilory monitor down there.

So now I think a project in the basement.  I wanted to go back out fishing but the cold may keep me inside.  Not that I am catching any fish – none.  But it is very relaxing.  And if I was serious about catching more fish I would move the shack out further, but I like it in close where I can keep an eye on it.  And it needs to come off for the season next Sunday.   The fish should be in our bay this time of year, but it should not be so cold this time of year.

So take care,