The Hazard Chronicles

Spring has definitely arrived here in North Idaho, and we couldn't be any more ready for it. Lindsey and I went rollerblading around the neighborhood yesterday and she showed me all the places where she likes to hang out when weather is nice. "Here is where we play night games...here is where I go to rest in the shade...here is Addy's happy place where she goes to read her book...etc." We have had an amazing winter of skiing and indoor entertainment, but we are all itching to get outside and play in more comfortable temperatures.

Along with spring weather comes spring cleaning and I have been busy planning and doing projects around the house. The yards, patio, and garage have all received makeovers after months of neglect. I did some stuff with the RV yesterday to get it ready for travel, and Rachel is planning a complete overhaul of the downstairs bedrooms. Also, we have some projects in Wallace that we have been putting off for warmer weather, and we will soon be up there to make our little getaway more ready for summer activities. It's fun. With spring comes rain and everything outside looks washed and new, and it's neat to see that happening around the house as well.

Also, it's still that great time of year where it's warm down in the valley but we still get wet sloppy snow in the mountains. Lookout Pass, our home resort for the past several years, had their closing day this weekend and we all went up for the party. Weather was perfectly "springy" and we had a short but sweet day of slippery slushy satisfaction. 

I think all of us teared up a little bit as we pulled out of the parking lot for the last time- Lookout has been amazing to us. Our season next year will be spent (again) on much larger mountains, and with everyone's skill set increasing we have even selected a different local place to call "home." It seems unlikely at this point that we will return to Lookout very often. We feel a little bit like young adults who have outgrown their small hometown. Opportunities are plentiful in "the city," and it is probably a  better place for us overall, but nostalgia is strong and going back will always be a bittersweet experience. So long, Lookout. It's been real.

As for other activities, we saw two plays this week, went on bike rides, hiked in the hills, and climbed at the gym. Kids hung out a lot with friends, we had some sleepovers, and Rachel and I went out to breakfast. There were all the normal extracurriculars, and as always, our days and weeks have been full. That has become so much the norm for us though, that unless we are away on a big trip things actually seem pretty chill.

Have a good week!

We went to see "This Random World" at the high school. They did a great job even though it was a pretty mature play for high school students which probably hits harder with a bit of life experience. I really liked it though.

Rach and I saw "Red" in Spokane. Good play about Rothko, with themes about the nature of art, artistic integrity, and artistic subjectivity. 

It's been a wonderful season at Lookout Pass. 

Trees haven't started budding yet, but the air is fresh and weather is nice enough to hike in t-shirts. Spring is here!