Trains And Snow

It's been a really wacky winter.  Our high today?  Almost 50.  I think it was in the neighborhood of 45 or 46 degrees.  This is not weather we are used to in January.  Last year it was below zero and we had over 5 feet of snow on the ground.  This year, we've probably had a collective amount of 1 to 2 feet of snow, and it isn't evident at all.  It hasn't stuck around for more than a day.  In fact, this is what it looked like at my mother's last week, in northern ARIZONA.

And this is what it looked like here, in MINNESOTA.




My mother has had more snow in Arizona in a two day period (just over 4 feet she tells me!) than we have had all winter.

Last week, we did get a small snowfall.  It wasn't much.  We got to see what our neighborhood looks like covered in snow.




And Ethan got to play in it a little while I watched from the kitchen window and got the hot chocolate making supplies ready.





And now, the trains!  Our house has a train track that runs behind it.  Our town does not have a quiet zone.  We live right by the crossing.  This means that the trains roll through several times a day/night and blow their horns.  You're probably thinking, "Wow...Annoying!".  Actually, not really.  We're used to them.  The small ones sleep right through them.  No problems.  We now sleep through them as well.  During the day, when the train horn sounds, Claire and Grayson both yell, "A train!" and rush to the window to watch.




They find it wildly entertaining.  I find it entertaining to watch their little legs in a full run and frantic couch climb to see the train before it passes.

You can't see it in the picture, but there is a chain link fence separating our yard by 3 feet from the tracks.  We're looking forward to spring.  We're having a fence built.  Then we'll be able to enjoy some backyard fun!