Enjoying a winter reprieve

‘Tis the season when I especially love living on the east side of the mountains. We enjoy 300 sunny days a year, including a considerable amount in the winter, and often have chinooks – the snow eater winds that come out of the south. Last week we were below zero; today it’s sunny and 55 degrees. Of course, this makes me antsy for spring. The greenhouse is close to 70 degrees inside, and I’m beginning to entertain thoughts of seedlings.

The bees are out during the day, too. They will not defecate in their hive (if they’re healthy), and wait until these mild days to fly out and do their business. How bees make it through the winter is pretty fascinating, which is why I wrote an article for Darla Shine’s Family Survival 101 on how they pull through even the worst weather – and why Africanized bees don’t survive in northern climates.

I’m also working on an article concerning tips for a healthy heart, and another on how childlike habits are good for you. I’ve talked with incredible people this week for both of them, and can’t wait to pull them together. But at the moment, I’m looking up recipes to try on the pike Grant will bring home this evening from ice fishing all day. The last time he was out, he and his son caught 7 nice northerns. I think pike cooked on the grill and pickled pike are on the menu!