Well it is time for some catch up on our lives here. It has been warmer than usual, little snow, and try as I might not to, thoughts of spring abound. I know it could be fooling us like it did last year and give us a foot of snow in April, but the bright sun is irrestible.

Lesley is trying out new breads for the market this year. Now that she is retired she has the time for it. I don't mind, someone has to test these new breads and I don't mind being a guinea pig. Now that Lesley is back, life has gotten much busier. We went ice fishing for a few days at Lake of the Woods on the Canadian border. We did it in complete comfort. Stayed in a cabin, Transported to a heated ice house in the morning, all meals provided, even lunch on the ice! Also we went on a dog sled ride a few weeks ago. This spring we are planning a houseboat for four days on Rainy Lake on the Canadian border. In between all of this we have been clearing snow, planning the summer garden, dreaming of the camping and fishing trips on the schedule, and getting the fishing tackle ready for another year of chasing "the big one". Now that Lesley is retired, she is loving sleeping in and having the freedom to do whatever she wants. She is going to all sorts of seminars and classes on gardening, cooking (yum), and whatever else strikes her fancy.

We have been adopting a family that lives near us. They have a 2 year old boy and a four year old girl, and we have become their adopted grandparents, a task we don't mind doing. I figure that by the time the boy is old enough to carry a canoe, I won't be able to, so it should all work out for both of us.

Economic times seem to still be not so good. The above mentioned family is struggling with unemployment, and some other good friends are at the point of foreclosure on their home. We may have them living in the basement we finished last year.

My friend Mike has recovered from his last stroke, but is not as active as he was. He now exercises only a bit and is not so happy anymore. The Dr. told him to not get his BP up at all, so his life has become rather mundane. I told him he is 73 for crying out loud, be happy.

Lesley and I have both started a diet. I put on about 15 lbs after the stroke, was starting to lose it when I had the shoulder surgery a few years ago and have never taken it off. It is coming off now and I WILL have it off by May when fishing season opens! That will be 15 lbs more fishing and camping gear I will be able to carry. We have both been exercising daily. I am very proud of Lesley, she is doing an hour a day on the treadmill and Bowflex machine. I do whatever my shoulder allows me to, about 30 minutes or a bit more.

Most of the winter honeydo projects scheduled were not done because of my sore shoulder. Assuming it stays as good as it feels now, they will be done next winter. I had an MRI on it a while back and the report was no muscle tears, just severe inflammation. The Dr says to ease off the exercise and let it heal. Oh well.

Well, the day awaits, so off I go.