Snowy/Icy Hike in the Bangor Land Trust

Jessie, the kids, and I went for a hike this morning over in the Bangor Land Trust within the Northeast Penjajawoc Preserve.  The temperature was around 15 I think, it was cold but we sang silly songs and jogged to stay warm.  Willoughby was warm thanks to his mega bulky winter attire, which had the unfortunate effect of limiting nearly all his movement.  Poor 1 year olds never have it easy!

We hiked a 3/4 mile loop, which dips down into a valley where a pretty little brook flows into the Penjajawoc Marsh.

There was 9" or so of snow on the ground but a thick crust allowed us to stay on top and walk with ease.  Wynn spent some time throwing snow/ice chunks into the ice below, she managed to make an opening and then we listened as the ice chunks scraped along as they were carried downstream under the frozen surface.

Jessie was brave! She would go out to the very edge of the hole, could not have been more than 1/4" of ice beneath her front paws but she never broke through.

On our hike out we found a fairy house Wynn and I had built last fall - she was totally psyched that it was still there!  The roof was no longer weather proof, all the needles and leaves are now gone, but the timber-frame was still intact.  There are a few others in different areas of this forest that we built last year, we look forward to checking on them during another adventure.

By the time we returned to the car the kids were beginning to get cold.  Wynn complained of cold fingers and toes but was quietly still singing so it could not have been all that bad.  In fact she completely forgot about her cold extremities and wanted to play on the frozen field near the trail head, we were running and sliding on our butts down the icy surface.  Willoughby, as you can see below, was less than impressed and was ready to get into the car and eat waffles, one of the regular snacks we carry with us.

We headed over the the dentist's office next, where we have been visiting on a regular basis in order to raise comfort levels before the big appointment next month, which I sure hope goes well!!  Plan B involves the OR and is NOT cheap!  We have been following Plan C for the last few months, which is to just wait, take daily doses of butter/fermented cod liver oil along with some Chinese herbs, and hope that things don't get worse... not sure that this plan is going to endure the long term but things aren't getting worse!  The dentist spent 30 min chatting and being goofy with the kids, which I find absolutely impressive given his busy schedule, he is certainly gaining the kid's trust.  Wynn was given a kids dental catalog which she has just spent the last 45 min looking through, picking out her favorite tooth brushes and other dental gear.  Maybe she will be a dentist?  Or maybe a dental gear designer!!  Willoughby is napping.  Now it's time to get the wood stove up and hot again.