Waiting for Spring

Spring is on the way! Robins are back in the neighborhoods, and meadowlarks have returned to the meadows. People all over the area are thinking about warm weather pursuits. Ice fishermen are asking about open water on lakes like Conestoga, Branched Oak, Czechland, and others. The Omaha Hiking Club and the Sierra Club have hikes and backpacking trips planned. The Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival is right around the corner.

What are YOU most looking forward to for spring? Is it hiking? Morel mushroom hunting? Camping? Boating? Personally, I'm dying to get out in my canoe, and those reports from the fishermen of open water have me dreaming of early spring paddling. I'm also wanting to do some geocaching - it's been a long time since I found some caches. And of course, warmer water will mean more of my fellow scuba divers willing to join me in the underwater realm.

It hasn't been that tough of a winter, really, just a couple of extreme cold snaps and a few nuisance snows, with a bit of ice thrown in earlier in the season. All the same, I'm looking forward to the easier life in general of warmer weather. Come on, Spring!

The Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival

It's single-digit temps and snow outside here, but it won't be long before the snow is gone and the woods begin to turn green again. And then, they'll appear, but they won't be obvious.

Morel mushrooms, the delectable little edibles so sought after by mushroom hunters everywhere, are the focus of The Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival in Peru, Nebraska. Held the last full weekend in April, last year's festival drew folks from as close as Peru and as far as Colorado. This year's festival is the event's second year, and a good crowd of fungus hunters is anticipated.

For more information, please visit the website of NebraskaTheGoodLife.com or VisitNebraska.org. And be sure to mark your calendars!