Sorry, Northern Friends.

It was 67º and sunny here today.  We went on a long walk and played outside.  It. was. glorious.  Don't take this the wrong way, my northern family and friends who were just hit by the massive Blizzard of '11.  I know you currently are unable to open your front doors, let alone leave the house due to the literal 2 feet of snow you just received in one night.  Nothing here compares to the ridiculousness of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago today:

Having said that, we've had a long stretch of really miserable, overcast, drizzly, cold, gray weeks, and it was almost shocking to see the sun again after its long absence.  We left the front door open all day, letting the stagnant air out and fresh, crisp air in....bliss!  Griffin and I spent a bit of time on the front porch, and I snapped some pictures.  First, he played with the rocks we collected out of the creek near our house. 

Then, he decided to get some sweeping done.  This was a frustrating venture for my determined little guy, seeing as a how a full-sized broom is tough for a 1 year old who has just started walking to wield.

Finally, he taste-tested the cat food while I wasn't looking.  Turns out, the cat food was rejected and then subjected to several minutes of intense study.