March madness does not necessarily include anything
basketball…the Henkels managed a very busy month and never watched a game. As all the snow melted and the temps were
above normal early in March, they feared this would be a year without effective
sap run, but they were wrong. Even
better, the sap ran during the week off of taekwondo so the things worked very
smoothly for three days of cooking and a good supply of syrup for family
pancakes. This is the first year it was
snowless in the swamp….but deep mud is equally challenging while carrying sap
buckets!
But maple syrup was only part of the month, which included
visits to both sons and special times.
Mark and Hilde headed to Jim and Kayme’s early in the month and Hilde
got to visit with her mom, and then play with grandkids while Jim and Mark did
the painstaking cutting and setting of the new kitchen floor. Two big guys, tools and appliances pulled out
for access, all crammed into a small space, but they managed very nicely. Not only does the floor look great, but the
appliances were reinstalled without incidents!
That weekend ended with Rhiannon and Rowan singing with other children
at church, which was sweet.
Hilde has continued to work through the old pictures,
copying and identifying the best she can with Mark’s help. His cousin Bill has added some of his
collection, so the genealogy picture collection is growing. Mark and Hilde also filled in covering the
UWSP taekwondo class one day, which is always enjoyable. They also went to La Crosse for a conference
and began talking to roofing guys in preparation for that project. Many roofing folks out there, but some do not
seem very businesslike. The Henkels are
eager to get that project taken care of.
For Easter, Mark and Hilde went to Palatine and enjoyed a
weekend with John and Evie. The project
for Saturday was removing the old, leaking shower in the master bath, which
provided some real challenges. Again,
two big guys in a small space working at awkward angles, then hauling out
chunks of cement from the old base. A
chisel did slip, resulting in the demolition of the toilet, but heck, these
things happen, don’t they? They always
enjoy spending time with the next generation, and Evie provided a great Easter
feast.
March also featured a new addition to the family: Hilde’s nephew and godson, Curt, became a
Daddy: mom Lori and little Henry David
Orchard are doing fine! The expanding
family is such fun. The real question
each day: will he wear purple or green
and gold?
The one heavy snow left quickly, the trees are beginning to
bud, the crocuses have cheered us…even though it is chilly and slushing outside
at the end of the month, spring is arriving.
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| Evie's sunroom, so cozy! |
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| First crocus while cooking sap |
