Ants and Spring (almost)

I made River this doll carrier for her "babies".  She loves it to carry her bunny babies around!

Every spring the ants arrive in the kitchen.  They leave by mid-May and don't return until the following spring.  We've tried bait traps, they remain uninterested and unaffected.  Every year we try new things.  Last year was cinnamon at suspected entrances- it worked with limited success.  This year, when the little spring friends started arriving we decided to find their entrances once and for all.  So I figured if we gave them food, they would form their little lines and lead us back to their entrance.  A small pool of maple syrup was set out...nothing.  The ants completely ignored their sweet treat.  Then, after some reading, I found out there are sugar ants and protein ants, each preferring different types of food.  Considering their lack of interest in the maple syrup, I decided these were protein ants.  Peanut butter was set out as well...nothing.  I happened to have a small amount of leftover chicken soup on the stove.  Guess where the ants went?  Apparently these were chicken ants.  Sure enough, we put a small piece of chicken on the counters and the ants quickly came and formed their little line to carry it away.  Chicken ants?!

With some investigating (watching the ants), we seemed to find a small hole in the caulking under the window above the sink.  Sealed it up.  They came back through another small hole in caulking.  Sealed it up.  Then they moved to another window in the kitchen.  Sealed that up too.  Somehow they're still here.  I suppose they must teleport in.  We'll have to wait until mid-May when their portal is sealed.

April is such a struggle between winter and spring here.  The sun starts shining after the perpetual grey of winter, but we're still lighting a fire most of the day and wearing boots and hats outside.  The other day we woke up to a dusting of snow.  The children, of course, decided to sled as this was probably (hopefully!) last snow of the season.  It was funny watching them attempt to sled on an inch of snow, but somehow they made it happen.  They didn't last long though and soon came inside to warm up.

Today was, comparably, very warm and we spent most of the time outside.  I sat in the sun and knit and the kids went to outer space in their woodshed/spaceship.  I hope it stays warm!