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My thermometer is in the sun, but Tuesday it read 45 degrees. Can spring really be here? My kids unearthed the dirt pile which had been lying dormant for months under a pile of snow. Now it’s a sloppy pile of mud at the top which makes for a great slide.

Me and that dirt pile are always at odds.

It knows I don’t have running water and lures my kids to it in the most amazing ways. I swear it must bury lollipops and dollar bills to ensure they don’t go away without a proper coating of mud from head to toe. My son’s coat and pants were so covered Tuesday that I just had him strip at the door. Then I flung the clothes out in the yard. I’m just going to let nature take care of the washing.

And as for the dirt pile, it’s going to see its last day when a front-loader comes to visit in another few weeks and takes it away to the back of our property to be reincarnated as a backstop for target practice. Ha!

Yes, spring is here and I’m feeling frisky.

I’m starting to see patches of the yard develop under big trees, and the cats are mostly out instead of in and out. I’m thinking about a garden and lemonade and the color green. Remember that color? And I’ve got road trip fever in the worst way. It’s no wonder why Arctic Man attracts some 13,000 to 15,000 people every year. It’s the first real chance to roll out the old RV and sit around a campfire. That, and watching someone get pulled on skis by a snowmachine going 70 to 90 miles per hour is just good fun.

Dirt piles aside, this spring is shaping up all right.

Arctic Man time

Next week, we’ll be seeing the masses roll through Delta as the 23rd annual Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic gets under way at Summit Lake off the Richardson Highway. The race will take place at 1 p.m. April 11 followed by a hill cross afterwards. On April 12, there will be a snow cross and other snowmachine events, time to be determined. For information about parking and events, visit www.arcticman.com.

Scholarship auction and spaghetti feed

Take a break from cooking for a night and support a worthy cause by attending the Delta Farm Bureau scholarship auction and spaghetti feed April 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center. The auction will follow at 7:30 p.m. Dinner is $10, which is payable at the door. Proceeds from the dinner and auction will benefit Delta Junction students pursuing a career related to agriculture or natural resources.

Delta softball leagues forming

It’s time to start thinking about softball again. Or, if you’re like me, it’s time to remember how lousy you were at softball in high school and let someone else think about it. If you want to play in Delta, you can pick up an application at Granite View Sports and get a team together. Team rosters and registrations must be turned in by May 9. The men’s league will play Monday nights, and the co-ed league will play Wednesday nights. Umpires are also needed. For more information, contact Hanni Marchuk at 895-4018 in the evenings. Maybe I’ll sign up to sell lemonade.

Garbage alert

Starting April 18, anyone delivering refuse to the landfill uncovered in a vehicle will be charged a $10 unsecured load service fee and will be given a bungee cord and tarp to cover future loads.

The City Council passed the resolution March 18 to cut down on garbage being scattered along roadsides, am occurrence which has increased lately.