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Winter is Here!

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It appears that winter has finally arrived here in the U.P. of Michigan! Last week, we had some warm sunny days where much of the snow melted. The snow was great for sculpting. The children around here aren't much for making snowmen. They like to be more creative and create snow creatures, aliens, and animals.

The warm weather of last week has been replaced, and rather than a thaw, we are now in the middle of major snow accumulation. The snow is no longer sticky and mold-able, but now it is deep, fluffy, and easily blows around! The cooler temperatures, drifting snow, and constant accumulation have caused a couple of snow days this week, but that sure hasn't kept us inside!
We've made some daily trips to Harlow Park (right down the street), our favorite spot to sled when our sled run is still under construction.
When you live in a climate where you experience an average of 141 inches of snow each year, you find all kinds of ways to enjoy it! After awhile, you also become an expert in choosing the right type of sled for the type of snow and current temperature!  The children love cooperative sledding or "caterpillar" sledding where they sit on one sled, put their legs on the next and each child holds on to each other.

It is kind of like a train of saucers and sleds.... They love it!  When the snow is a little more compact and there is a bit of ice glaze over the top, swimming pools are definitely the way to go for cooperative sledding! (You can learn more about this by clicking on this post from last year.)
Mr Allan has been working to stock pile snow off the end of our parking pad. I'm sure the neighbors are enjoying the extra help he has been giving while removing the snow on their sidewalks to add to our hill! A couple more days of snow like this, and our sled run will be in business!

Now that winter has finally arrived... LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

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