I have learned that this word, Thaw, serves as an adequate synonym for that most evasive of words here, Spring.

This is what Spring looks like on the boots:

And under the nose:

And, just because Ethan's mother has a picture almost identical to this, except the boy is wearing a hat and darker hair is peeking out from under its rim (but the boot-and-nose-dirt is present):

(And, just as a side note, the glass door behind that child is filthy! Doesn't he have a MOTHER?)

But, most advantageously for us, three above-60-degree days in a row spurred us on to Missoula, where we dabbled in the water

and made a boat

and set it to sail down the river

and threw sticks, small

and large

and just generally watched the happy goings-on

and relaxed. Oh, and discovered the wonders of chewing gum:

Even the drive home was a treat for the eyes:

Goodnight, Missoula. And goodnight, moon.