It has been a strange winter here in the hills. The truth is that we had very little weather that was at all like winter. Instead, we had an extended fall that somehow drifted into an extended spring. It is not yet April and we have had lots of days with temperatures in the seventies. There is no ice in Sheridan Lake. The ice fishermen are cleaning out their boats and getting ready to take to the water.

I pay a bit more attention to Sheridan Lake for the simple reason that it is close. The hills have no natural lakes, but we have several very nice reservoirs that hold water for use by the city and irrigators downstream and provide a place for recreation. When I get home from work, I am almost half way to Sheridan Lake. It is close enough for a paddle in the morning before I head to work or a paddle in the evening after a day’s work.

This time of year, however, I usually am not thinking about paddling. Some years I sneak out in late April or early May for my first paddle, but paddling is a summer sport around here and it is usually late May before there is much regular boating at Sheridan Lake. They put the docks in and but the buoys out sometime around the end of May anticipating the return of crowds to the campgrounds and day use areas around Memorial Day.

But this year is different. They opened one campground loop and two boat docks at Sheridan Lake yesterday. The North Ramp and part of the South Ramp are now available for folks who want to launch boats. As a canoeist and kayaker, I don’t need a boat ramp and don’t use the docks because it is easier to stay out of the way of the folks who need those facilities. I usually just walk down to the shore and launch my boats.

I’m sure that the forest officials know that we can get spring blizzards. I can remember a significant snowfall on May 11 one year not too far back. April blizzards can drop up to a couple of feet of snow. Most of us who are living in the hills would be delighted to see a good snowfall. Precipitation in any form will be welcome this year. It is dry out there, and we keep sniffing the wind for fire. There have already been a few small fires.

I’ve fallen prey to premature spring fever as well. Last night I was outside cooking on the barbecue when thunderstorms rolled through the area. The wind blew and lightning crackled – not a good sign for a fire-anxious part of the world. It was a bit strange, however, to have thunderstorms build up in March. This morning, the local newspaper web site reports several storm-related fires, but nothing too large. Lightening sparked a 2-acre grass fire near Rochford. We saw the brush truck from our local volunteer fire department heading toward a 10-acre burn north of Fairburn. That fire was caused when winds blew down power poles that in turn sparked the blaze. A transformer and pole burned near Johnson Siding when lighting hit the pole.

Here at the house we got quite a bit of rain, which is welcome. Rain is good, but when there is lightning and rain, fires can smolder in wet fuels and then flare up the next day when the fuels dry out. We’ll be watching the hills for puffs of smoke and sniffing the air for the smell of fires all day today.

I enjoy the warm weather as much as anyone. I’ve been driving around town with the windows down since February. But I’m not really eager for summer to come quite yet. Part of the reason is that I have a winter project going in my garage. I am building a rowboat. A rowboat is a good craft to have around young children. It is stable and secure and can be maneuvered slowly. It has capacity to take along a parent to hold the child. So a rowboat is something that a grandpa could use. In addition, I am working hard at reforming my own lifestyle. I have changed my eating patterns and have taken off a significant amount of weight since the first of the year, but I have a long way to go before hitting my ideal weight. A good exercise program needs to be part of my plan. While I like to paddle and have used paddling as a big part of summer exercise for years, it mostly builds upper body strength. Sitting or kneeling while you let your arms and shoulders do all of the work is hardly a full-body workout. It does nothing for the ring of fat that has settled around my waist. Rowing is just better exercise for someone whose body is shaped like mine. In fact they make sliding rowing seats for an even better workout. So the rowboat is an indulgence and an investment in health.

See I can justify almost any project that I really want to undertake.

Still, the boat is far from finished. It is blocked up, but there is no small amount of work left before it is ready to head for the water. In general, when a boat is fully constructed and ready for sanding, paint and varnish, it is usually only about half way done. And I am weeks away from ordering the paint and varnish for this boat.

Despite the outdoor weather, spring is a time to sit and be patient. It would be OK to till the garden, and I’m sure that some people are already setting plants out that they can cover with greenhouse structures if the weather turns cold. But while we may debate whether Mother’s Day or Memorial Day is the best time to set out tomatoes, we all know that it is too early for some planting. Spring is a season of waiting.

Still, with the docks in the water and the campground open, I’m glad that the rowboat isn’t my only watercraft. I may have to head for the lake with a canoe before the rowboat is finished. After all, carrying a canoe down to the shore is good exercise.

Copyright © 2012 by Ted Huffman. I wrote this. If you want to copy it, please ask for permission. There is a contact me button at the bottom of this page. If you want to share my blog a friend, please direct your friend to my web site.