Pushing Spring

We had rain and cool temps much of the week, but things got warmer today.  We are eager to get out of what I call the Fell Winter of 2013: 1) It's a J.R.R.Tolkien reference to an especially harsh, horrible winter (it really was not so snowy for us - it just dragged on and on), and 2) we had to deal with the effects of me falling down and breaking a bone pretty much all winter long.  I guess it's one my ways of whining.  My foot still hurts a bit sometimes, but I still can hobble around.  Anyway, this weekend we cut forsythia blossoms for a vase in the house, cut down a few garlic mustard sprouts in the woods, and planted some tomato plants in the garden.  Katie, Kris, and I checked a spot in the woods known to have a puddle almost year-round in order to look for frog eggs, but to our surprise the puddle was nearly dry.  Kris and Katie explored the woods a little more.  In other news, Katie's science fair poster is ready.  I've been hearing about recent accidents in places we have visited in 2004:  1) In Hawaii, someone fell into a steam vent (and survived) after jumping a fence in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park  (http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_23007387/san-rafael-youth-15-survives-fall-into-hawaii).  I wonder if this is the same vent  that I measured the temperature  and carbon dioxide level of when we visited in 2004 (I stayed on the correct side of the fence)?  2) In Washington, avalanches caught caught hikers on Granite Mountain near Snoqualmie Pass (http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/04/1-hiker-found-2-still-missing-after-avalanches-near-snoqualmie-pass/).  I hiked this mountain with Dace and Susan in August, 2004 (no avalanche danger then- all the snow melted). It was an awesome, challenging hike, and it really cemented my love of the mountains, but I do remember crossing the chute from previous avalanches and marveling at the broken trees.