In igloo-ville, summer lasts about 48 hours.  Might be less by the looks of this year.  Still expecting snow this weekend.  This winter feels a lot longer, and cabin fever is certainly setting in.

School won’t be ending until the end of June, so there’s still a lot of Spring activities underway.  Need to get new bikes for the kids.  Swimming lessons.  Pick up hockey for my eldest.  Yard work (backyard rink still has a pile of snow).  Birthday parties (everyone seems to be born in the Spring around here).  Swapping of winter clothes for less-winter clothes.

Heading into year 3 of owning a cottage, I have developed a massive itch for getting out of the house.  We had a system last year for prep/readiness and it worked fairly well.  We also found out what does work and does not work, as well as what we need to replace.  Like a home, a cottage is a pile of work and money.  It does feel worth it, when you have a fire going at sunset, on the waterfront, beverage in hand.

We need some patio swings & chairs for the fire pit.  A different setup to store the canoe.  I’ve been looking for a fishing kayak for a while.  There’s a garden we’ll be prepping.  Then a weeping tile trench to dig.  The dock needs some sturdier footings.  A new outdoor sink (and associated plumbing lines).  Some fishing equipment replacement.  A new cord of wood.  And none of that has anything to do with actually opening the cottage in the first place.

It’s nothing but lists!

And the kids are happy to just play in the puddles.  I just happen to like really big puddles I guess.