Snowy weekend and a suprise visitor

I'm back from a tiring weekend at my mom's house.  I agreed to watch two of my sister's children over the weekend, but weather made it impossible for her to bring them to me, so she took them to my mom's house, where I also went.  However, being at my mom's house, I end up watching even more children.  So, including mine, I watched 7 children, ages 8 and under during the day - only 5 at night.  They didn't sleep well.  Who does at a slumber party?  My sister also failed to mention that her boys wake up by 6:30 am.  I am not used to that. 

So, I am tired and in denial of needing to get into a new week.  Meal planning?  Who needs it?  Actually, I planned on sloppy joes, but I seem to be out of burger.  Which is unheard of in our family.  My mom sneaks burger into our freezers because they have so much.  I guess she's been distracted, or I moved too far away.  I am planning a full on assault of my chest freezer as soon as the baby goes down for her nap.  If I don't find some lonely package of burger, I'm bound to find something else that wants to be dinner, right?

While at the ranch, we looked out the kitchen window and saw...

a baby moose!  I realize he seems large, but he's not quite a year old.  He (I say he because he seems like a he, not because I actually know...it's too fuzzy down there) and his mother spent last spring and summer by the river that runs through the ranch.  Sometime in the fall, his mom disappeared.  I don't know if someone shot her during hunting season, or if they were somehow separated and she just hasn't found her way back, but he's still here and still alone.  And apparently lonely. 

He is standing in the backyard, surrounded by dogs, children, tractors, horses, people, cars in and out... you name it.  We don't usually see wildlife right here.  We're just too loud.  Yet, there he is, bedding down in "pirates cove" by the creek and wandering through the willows and crab apple trees.  I don't know if he'll survive the winter, he doesn't seem very lively, but I hope he makes it through.  My sister wants to make a pet out of him and I admit, his ears look so fuzzy, I really want play with them. 

The kids also enjoyed a sleigh ride, complete with sledding off the back.  There is a lot of snow right now.  Spring is nowhere in sight, but that didn't stop me from doing some garden planning.

But I definitely did not sit on the swing.