We’ve been canoeing!

Where is this pristine lake, you might ask?

Why, it’s just the alfalfa field below the feedlot.

Spring is officially here, and the warmer temperatures we’ve been enjoying are shrinking the snow banks that accumulated through February.  Always the truest sign of a new season around here, water is running everywhere.  The coulees are full of slushy snowmelt, the irrigation ditches are overflowing with runoff, and the intermittent creeks are roaring toward the river.  PV headquarters are located right at the base of the hills that form the northern rim of the Yellowstone Valley, so we see a lot of water go by this time of year.

In seasons of runoff, a lake always forms on the low end of this alfalfa field.  The kids had been eyeing this shimmering “lake” the last few days; it’s in clear sight from our yard.  As they eyed it, they also cooked up a plan to take the canoe out on it in order to explore its mysteries.

Last night Beau — who in truth is a born water baby himself — relented, and so we unearthed the canoe from its dusty hiding place in one of the open-face sheds and packed it down to the field.  The water is only a couple feet deep most places, so Beau used chunks of white PVC to pole the chosen vessel along.  (His Alabama swamping background lent itself to the whole situation.)

They departed into the icy waters:

Marsi went for a round or two and then elected to stand on the shore with me:

She wears a dress most days.  I don’t… I can’t… okay.

You can’t beat Mother Nature… so you might as well join in her fun!

© Tami Blake