Itching for Spring

It feels like this winter has lasted far longer than necessary. I don’t usually complain about the weather because there is nothing we can do about it.

So I decided enough of this.

To get our minds off of this most recent cold snap, my husband, Tim, and I have been discussing outdoor activities we want to do when the weather is sunny and warm again.

A big focus this year will be getting back out to the lake again and getting in more fishing days. When Tim and I first starting dating, we spent a lot of time in his small boat. I hadn’t gone fishing since I was a kid, and Tim helped me reconnect with that part of myself and brought us close together in the process. We even used fishing in our wedding theme using lures, fish nets, tackle boxes, etc. as wedding decor.

Last year was busy for us. We got married, went on a two-week honeymoon, bought a house, helped other people move and were a part of other weddings ... you get the idea. In all of those activities, Tim and I only went fishing once at my great-uncle’s pond for the Fourth of July.

So this year, we have a goal to try to hit the lake as much as we can. That means getting the boat out of storage and going to some of our favorite locations. We may even try a few new ones as well.

Another thing we acquired last fall was a motorhome-style camper. Tim is an experienced camper. He tells me stories from his youth and young adulthood of his family traveling to various places either to camp in a tent or in a camper. Many of these trips included traveling to Minnesota to fish — something Tim would like to take me to experience one day.

I have been camping exactly once and am willing to try it again so long as I don’t have to sleep outside in tent. This is why we bought the camper. Tim is looking forward to the warm days when he can get our camper ready to fully introduce it to me. My first try at camping was in October 2016, and we happened to pick a rather rainy, windy and cold weekend. We spent most of the time in the camper, because the water was too choppy to try to fish and too wet to be outside. The wind died down in the evening, so we were able to do a little catfishing.  We had to call it early because of the temperature outside. Somehow that didn’t scare me away. I’m hoping we can pick a nice warm weekend this time, so I can get the full experience.

If all goes to plan, I am penciling in a trip in mid-July. It feels like we have to schedule things months in advance so that’s why I am starting early. I’m hoping things will line up for us that weekend.

Another thing to get our minds off the winter will be our impending trip to Colorado in June. I have been to The Centennial State twice before, both times have been in and around Denver.

This year we are going somewhere new. We are visiting Breckenridge, a mountain town with plenty of outdoorsy things to do. From all of the travel websites I’ve perused, there are plenty of activities and beautiful scenery to fill our trip. This will mark the second vacation that will include the whole Rodgers clan and their spouses. We have a lovely cabin reserved for everyone, and we are all super excited to try something new.

Besides these activities, I also look forward to the smaller joys of warmer weather, like not having to put on layers simply to take my dog outside. For now, Tim and I will just grin and bear it through the rest of the winter and pray the warmer days arrive soon.

Contact Pam Pratt at
pampratt@newtondailynews.com