Spring?

I got home from a teaching week in Chicago to find signs of spring. For one thing our new pond is now half full (definitely not half-empty!). The snow has been melting in the hills, running down the draw and under the railroad straight to our pond - exactly as planned. And so far the lovely pond appears to be holding water.

Pepper and I walked through the woods to the Little Cottonwood River, just west of us, and lo and behold for the first time since last March the River runs! Hurrah.

It was still quite cold last night and we city folks discovered that one of the responsiblities of country life is to check your propane tank once in awhile. The gage hit empty last evening. Happily our bunkhouse is well-insolated so we only lost about 8 or 9 degrees through the night. We called Flint Hills Energy first thing in the morning and they arrived in less than 45 minutes. Pat and I reflected about what might happen if we had found ourselves without gas in Chicago. How many phone calls, how many days waiting, would it have taken to get everything up and running again? More than 45 minutes I guarantee you that.