That classic song by the late artist Prince provides the most suitable title for this rather brief blog entry….the past few weeks have seen temperatures ranging from the 20’s, up to the 70’s, with sunny days followed by windy, rainy, or snowy days. We get through, though, and are excited by seeing ice-free lakes at last.  The fleet is out of storage, prepped for the season,and ready to go….

Well, we thought it was spring!

We have done quite a bit of hiking, on lower elevation trails, to allow the upper trails to dry out after the winter weather. The odd weather actually provided us with enough snow cover for a bit more snowshoeing, even though we thought the season had ended in March. But we are ready for canoeing and kayaking season to officially begin. Though we have seen increasing amounts of open water, the water temperature is still hovering around 41-42 degrees….still too cold for safe paddling.  We estimate that within 2 weeks, we will be once again on the water!

Here is a short video that visually demonstrates the various conditions we have encountered since we returned from our Maine trip….

The next month will be a rather hectic one for us….we have our son’s graduation from university, which requires a 3-4 day trip to western NY. Two weeks after that, we will be thrilled to be attending our daughter’s wedding! Lots of changes in our family, as the birds have officially flown from the nest!

I anticipate that our next blog post will document our “first paddle” of 2016; I also hope to do an explanatory narrative, with photo illustration, of the gear we have used successfully when canoeing, and canoe camping with our dogs. Please check out our newest review, of the Ruffwear Headwater waterproof collar and leash…just click under the “Check our Reviews” section of the blog headings. Thanks!

Think Spring, and paddle safely!