Factoid: It was in the low 50s Friday. The last time we saw the 50s was November 13, 07.

I normally whine about Winter. This year everyone is whining. And while happy to have company this year I can see just how unattractive my behavior is.

It has been warm here the last couple days. Warm is a relative term. It was in the low 50s Friday so we took a nice little walk. We wandered by Dell's Architectural Antiques here in Eau Claire. This is a large barn full of architectural embellishments taken off of old buildings. They are for sale. Since we are modern and minimalist we never buy anything. We are both amazed by the organization of this huge amount of stuff. Hinges together, door knobs together, pillars together...

Factoid: The Mississippi is not yet open to barge traffic. This is the latest year on record for that. Apparently the ice is still 13 inches at Lake Pepin. Lake Pepin is not really a lake, it is a wide, lake-like area in the Mississippi.

Yesterday it was in the 60s and we wandered around and ended up in Hudson, WI. These pictures are from a pier on the St. Croix River. It was lovely to walk jacketless with the sun warming our faces even though there was still ice on the river.

Unfortunately this is a bit of a tease. Snow maybe later today and tonight. But Spring really is trying hard to arrive.