Thought for the Day – 2/2/2025

So, Punxsutawny Phill saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter.

As I stare at my thermometer, which reads 8°F, what can I say except WELL, DUH!

Stupid woodchuck – go back to sleep.

Thought for the Day - 01/22/2025

 Five seconds before this shot, it was -4°F.  It was taken at 7:50 AM.  The sun was up, but not over the local horizon.

You can call it winter and normal for this time of year.  You can call it the result of climate change.  It doesn't matter.  It's too damned COLD.

Hope my car starts.

Thought for the Day - 1/20/2025

If all the snowstorms were 4" of fluffy snow, I wouldn't mind.

If visits from the polar vortex (the frigid air reaching us from the Arctic) only meant day temps in the 20s and nighttime temps in the teens, I wouldn't mind (sorry, Florida).

Yeah - welcome back to Upstate New York winter reality.  More snow coming, not necessarily 4" and not likely always fluffy.  Temperatures in the teens during the day and single digits above and below zero at night until the end of the week.  Hope to have running water from all taps and a car that wants to start in the morning for the next few days.

Can't wait to hear what that woodchuck down in Pennsylvania has to predict on February 2.

Countdown to Spring – The Weekly Version

Yes, it’s true.  Mercifully, I am going to a once a week posting on this topic.  Just in case you might have thought I was showing mercy only to the readers, it’s also a kindness for me as well.  The daily writing of things related to counting down to spring is a discipline that was always difficult and is more so this year with changes in schedule, etc.  Perhaps for 2019, I’ll go back to the daily posts from Groundhog’s Day to the actual first day of spring.  We’ll see.

Speaking of Groundhog’s Day, dear old Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on February 2nd.  Stupid woodchuck.  Doesn’t Phil realize we need the hope of an early spring this year?  I know it really hasn’t been any longer, colder, or snowier than what is considered normal for my area, but it sure felt/feels like it.

There are signs of hope that better weather days are ahead.  The daylight hours are getting longer, the sun coming a little sooner over the horizon and disappearing for the day just a bit later.  Warmer?  Well, no, not really, and we won’t even discuss that polar cold snap that quadrupled my electricity/heating bill last month.  However, if you’re a weather nerd like I am, you’ve noticed a long-range forecasting trend of warming up just a little faster than it was doing back in late December and a decent chunk of January.  It’s not staying obscenely cold for as long is what I’m saying.

Seed catalogs are arriving.  I don’t get as many as I used to because I don’t order that much anymore.  Many of the seed companies post their catalog online for the less frequent customers like myself to peruse.  But, there’s just something about that paper catalog, slowly turning pages and sighing heavily over pictures of fruits, vegetables and flowers which never, ever look that great in your garden that does a winter-weary heart good.  It also fuels my spring fever.  Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

I walk quite a bit more than I used to in years past.  As a result, I’m seeing the changes in trees and bushes that start this time of year.  There’s slow-growing evidence of life returning even now.  One of the first I noticed was the pussy willow I walk by every day to go to the post office.  I thought I was seeing things at first.  Nope – little fuzzy buds have emerged on the branches.  No, we’re not talking pussy willows coming into bloom – okay, fur – anytime in the next 2-3 weeks.  It’s just that there’s a reawakening going on and it’s pretty much on schedule.

So, whether you want to believe the ground hog/woodchuck/whistling pig/ whatever you call them or not, spring is coming and will be here on March 20th at 12:15 PM EDT.  It may not necessarily look or feel like it on the day.  Many times, it’s exactly like the winter season left behind the day before.  But, eventually, it always happens.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to be patient about it.

Only 41 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – The Snowy Threat Begins

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for my area starting at midnight and going into the evening on Thursday.  Not that I think it’s going to be here that long.  It’s likely going to be snowed and done by early afternoon.  6-12”, depending on location and how the storm tracks, and at its supposed to be at its worst during the morning commute hours. 

Of course, there’s always the possibility it’ll track too far south and we won’t see a single flake.  I know, dream on.

Skiers and school kids rejoice!  The rest of us  …

Only 40 days until Spring

The Big Chill Down

As I type this, the cold front which is allowing bone-chilling, dangerously cold air to ooze down from more northern regions of the planet has already passed through.  Under normal circumstances, the warmest part of the day in my area would be somewhere between 12 noon and 2 PM.  Today, the warmest part of the day was around 3 AM, when it was still about 22°F.  By 2 PM today, the temperature will be about 12°F, and by this time tomorrow, we will be rebounding (I hope) from temperatures that were below 0°F during the night.  Brr, baby.

In the summertime, we would actually be appreciative of what amounts to a 20-30° cool-down, a lower humidity, and a good strong breeze to usher it all in.  Not so much this time of year.  Like many, I’m not a fan of weather that’s over 80°F with a similar percentage of humidity.  But,  anybody who complains about the heat of summer by missing winter has already forgotten the temperatures that are coming tonight.

There should be no lynch mob forming for Punxsutawney Phil or any other woodland creature used to predict when the vernal equinox will be at hand, at least not yet.  He predicted an early spring and it may still happen.  A shot of cold air is bound to happen between February 2^nd and March 20^th  of any year.  It’s if it continues, if the cold air doesn’t disappear and we see more wet and white winter weather, that Ground Hog Phil, our Pennsylvania Prognosticator, should be concerned that people might checking out their cookbooks for wild game recipes.

I will finish this on a serious note – look out for those at risk in this type of weather.  From people to pets, no one should be exposed to the cold, and not just tonight, either.

Countdown to Spring: The Final Walk of Winter

With the passage from winter solstice to vernal equinox a little over a day away, it seemed only fitting that I take my last walk of winter today.  I would take it tomorrow, but our forecast calls for snow and my enjoyment of walking in falling snow disappeared on 3/1.

The first thing I noticed was that the inch of snow I noted yesterday was happily gone.  The percentage of bare ground showing continues to increase with each above-freezing day.  What was at best 5-10% of ground showing two weeks ago is now 60-70%.  There is a little green growth showing among the brown, but not that much in the way of new green growth.  Mostly perennial grasses, both lawn and weed varieties, that hold their green throughout the year, but look a little tired right now, like they're just waking up.  There are things like crocuses, snowdrops, even daffodils which are pushing up slowly as well to remind us that more colorful days are coming. 

Another reason for my walk today was to check on the pussy willow along my regular wander route.  I was given permission by the owner to clip a few branches once the little fuzzy “flowers” show themselves.  While there were buds ready to pop, the pussy willow will likely not be in bloom until after spring arrives.  Perhaps next week, though, I’ll be able to bring my clippers and harvest a fuzzy bouquet.

The forsythia bushes I walked by are also getting ready to blossom, the buds larger than even a week ago.  Other trees are also showing signs of returning from their winter sleep.

As I walked past our millbrook, its meandering path now almost free of ice, I noticed a large bird land in a nearby tree.  Even without binoculars, I could tell it was a turkey vulture.  They don’t stay locally year-round and their return is like the swallows' return to Capistrano, just not as pretty and therefore, perhaps not as welcome by folks not aware of the important role they play as scavengers. 

The robin I mentioned seeing in a previous post has not been seen since.  I suspect he’s still around, perhaps looking elsewhere for meals and springtime housing.  However, I’m sure it won’t be long before I start to see the small flocks of them all over the place.

As I returned home, the sun’s warmth felt wonderful.  The last two days were incredibly windy and not walker-friendly.  But the calmer winds and blue skies of today were much more inviting and I even slowed my pace to savor them.  Bushes and trees  with leaves getting ready to show themselves, bird singing songs not heard in a while, all this and more  examples of the many cycles of renewal that spring has to offer those of us who are more than ready for them. 

This last walk of winter, with its reminders of better days to come, was pure joy, and I look forward to tomorrow, even if it snows.

1 day until spring.

Countdown to Spring: Let's Kill Some Trees

I didn't get out a ruler and measure it, but it looks like we got another 4" of fluffy dry white stuff from the latest winter storm.  I was out at around 3:30 in the morning moving the snow off my porch and sidewalks and, of course, the car – and I was up anyway, in case you're curious.  It wasn't windy at that hour, but I knew it was going to turn blustery later on, so I figured I might as well get it done before the wind chill factors took a nosedive.

As the day went by, I began my quest to find seeds online.  I visited the websites of about 10 companies.  Some were like old friends, companies I bought seeds from in the past.  Others, while I knew their names, I'd never done business with them.  I perused webpage after webpage, drooling over the most perfect specimens of vegetables, flowers, herbs, trees, etc. that could be photographed. They never turn out looking that wonderful in the average garden or yard. However, these places are not just selling a product, they're selling a dream, a paradise that could be yours for the humble price of .... HOW MUCH?

Yes, the prices online were pretty similar to what I saw in that one seed display I looked at the other day.  Factor in the shipping and, for the most part, it cost less to buy the seeds locally.  There was one exception, a seed coop company, where I saw prices for seeds  like I haven't seen in at least five years.  Even with the shipping charges, they appear to still cost less than what I could purchase locally.
There is one thing I grow every year, though, that I can only find in one company's catalog and it's not my more economical seed coop place.  So, there will likely be two orders going out soon.

However, I found myself yearning to continue the journey through pictures and descriptions of perfect plants, a sojourn that could be continued away from the computer.  Yes, I wanted catalogs.  They don't send them out automatically anymore since it costs them money to produce and mail them and they're not necessarily recouping those costs in the sale of goods.  Maybe that's why the prices make my eyes bug out to look at them.  Anyway, as environmentally unfriendly as it might be, I requested four catalogs that would make me smile as I turned the pages and daydreamed of how their wonderful items might look in my fantasy garden world.

Forgive me, I have spring and cabin fever and I need a dose of dose of hopeful green.  I promise to recycle the paper, okay?

Only 33 days until spring.

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Countdown to Spring: The Cats of Winter

Brad and Diva

Beebles

Anyone who knows me, or has been following this blog for a while, knows that I mention my cats on rare occasion.  I try to keep it to a minimum because it’s bad enough to be looked upon as the crazy cat lady locally, worse that it extend out beyond my town’s radius.

Jay

However, I mention them now because, as anyone with a pet that has indoor/outdoor status – cat, dog, pot-bellied pig, etc. – knows that, while they appreciate the food, warmth, attention and love the great indoors offers during the colder months, they still yearn to wander beyond the confines of the house.  A lot like ourselves, actually.

I haven’t had a dog as a pet in many years.  I love them, but cats are just easier, especially in terms of going out.  Give them a cat door, shove them through it a few times, and they’ve got the letting themselves in and out thing down.  Dogs can do this, too, but there’s the whole leash law thing.

Dogs, especially the medium to large-sized ones, tend to love a good romp in the snow.  Cats, who don’t generally glide gracefully across the top of snow and kind of fall in and get lost, tend to wait until you’ve shoveled a path and then only go out as necessary.  I did have one cat many years ago who adored snow and would go outside and run in it with happy cat abandon, plow  through any drift and chase any size snowball that came her way.  Yeah, she was nuts, but it was a good kind of nuts.

Now, I have cats of regular winter mentality.  As in every other season, they sleep most of the time, demanding food at regular intervals.  But, there are also long sessions of staring out windows longingly and more frequent changing of sleeping locations.  It’s not that there’s anything wrong with where they were parked, they just needed a change of snoozing scenery.  There are the exercise sessions as well.  I’ve  initiated some of them with little cat toys and a little catnip.  But mostly, there’s spontaneous running and impromptu climbing of things that will hold them (and sometimes won’t).  These sessions become more frequent and sometimes more frenzied, no catnip influence required, as the winter months go by.  Kitty cabin fever. They’re bored.  They want to be outside, but can’t because snow is flying or it’s simply too cold to tolerate it for more than a short outing.  Like us, they’re waiting for warmer and greener days to reappear, when they begin to explore a wall-less world once more.

And I can’t wait to kick them back outside ‘cause they’re driving me crazy.

Only 41 days until spring.

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Countdown to Spring: And So It Begins …

Last year, I posted every day to my personal Google page from Ground Hog’s Day to the first day of spring.  This year, I will be posting here instead.  So, if there be any followers of this blog who don’t want to read my banal words lamenting winter weather and the lack of spring day after day after day, ignore all posts starting with “Countdown to Spring” until after March 20, or 20 March for some readers who know who they are.  Most entries will be mercifully shorter than today’s post.

It’s presently snowing in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York and we have about 10” from a storm that only started about midnight last night.  It may be  revenge by the sky bears  for my laughing at the snowstorm that wasn’t last week, when they were predicting 18” or more and we only got 4”.  By the way, if you need the sky bear reference explained, you’ve lived in a snow-free location your entire life.  Anyway, they are predicting an inch of snow an hour until sometime after noon today.  When after the noontime hour ‘sometime’ occurs is anyone’s guess.

Speaking of predictions, down in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the resident ground hog (also referred to as woodchuck, whistling pig, and that little ?##*%! that ate my garden), lovingly referred to as Phil, saw his shadow at the appointed hour this morning.  They were fortunate that the storm took a different course and they weren’t standing in the middle of a foot high snowbank when feisty Phil did his winter forecast thing.  Anyway, for those unfamiliar with the Ground Hog’s Day tradition, when the ground hog sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter.  Well, duh! and *sigh*.  Much as it doesn't really make a difference, I really prefer it when he doesn't see his shadow, as that means the vernal equinox is just around the corner.  However, that corner is still six weeks away.

Only 46 days until spring.

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Friday Night Illustrative Humor

Bundle Up - It's going to be  bumpy season

You can take it from a meteorological point of view.
You can take it from a financial impact point of view.
You can take it from a political climate point of view.
You can take it from a current events point of view.
You can take it all from some kind of prophetic point of view
of the winter months ahead.

But, really, I’m just chilly and my friend is simply reflecting that.

Maybe.

(Apologies to the late and great Bette Davis for twisting her famous line from “All About Eve” to my Protestor’s needs)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Seed companies are evil.

Okay, they're not really evil, but the marketing strategy of sending out next year's seed catalogue at the beginning of December preys upon the green-deprived consumer, aka me, to such a degree that the once under control withdrawal symptoms from seasonal plant growth loss blossomed once more, every pun intended.

Park Seed Company's catalogue was the first to arrive and it won't be the last. All the perfect little plants on every page, the flowers at their perkiest, the vegetables at their most perfect color and shape, the fruits at their ideal juicy ripeness. And that mini-greenhouse that calls me every year has been improved and is really starting to look like it might fit in my budget -- mmm, greenhouse.

No, no, no !! Evil !! E-vil, I say !!

Yet, I cannot look away because that just makes me look out at a brown and grey New York in December world. Those colorful 135 pages of seed and plant buying fun are calling me like a lover to the garden bed ... and didn't that just take me back to a piece of my life's story that will never be published here.

(*insert naughty giggle*)

I hope somebody's giving me a gift certificate for this place this year.

Evil.