spring in the midst of winter

We walked the park trails for 3 hours today. All 3 kids, me, and of course Dawg. He had to have all his matted long hair cut off before he was to have a bath. His underbelly was one big mess! This nice weather has afforded the luxury of his kitchen sink bath and mommy special haircut.

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This is a stone wall at our treasured local state park.
As you can see, it has a Green-man water spout with a small catch basin just under it. That then over flows into a 2 feet deep 4 feet wide cement pond which in warmer weather has an abundance of green slimy frogs. No frogs today but a visit is a must. This is lil' mans favorite spot. I wonder why....During our long trek through the woods-did I mention I pulled that wagon through ALL the trail paths- the last quarter was a bike trail- We saw a group of deer!Their coats were so light in color, they almost appeared grey. They were running about 100 feet to the side of us. A few stragled behind and seemed curious of my little group. Then Dawg started to whine because we dared to stop in the middle of his walk. So off they went. I was so happy the kids were able to see such a large group together. Before spotting them, we had seen their tracks all over the trails. The even made a comment how they wished they could see them. And their wish came true.
So how nice was it here in Northeast Ohio on December 29?
Yeah. And its usually half that this time of year.
Look what else we found on the trails... ..
Makes me wonder what the next few months of weather will be. I mean come on! A snake! In the midst of winter. In the north. Just sun bathing outside. Above ground. In winter!
SSSSSSweet dreams,
Tammie