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February 2014
"The groundhog is like most prophets;
it makes its prediction and then disappears".
Bill Vaughn
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Windy and very cold (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)with blizzard (8,9,10). Windy and very cold again (11,12,13,14,15,16) turning not so cold with snow in the northern region and rain in the south. Fair and cool (19,20) turning colder with a Nor’easter and heavy snow (21,22). Windy and cool
(23,24,25,26,27) and not as cold with rain in the north and storms in the south (28).
Full Moon: February’s Full Moon will occur on Friday, the 14th (perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day evening!). It has been named Hunger Moon by many Native American tribes living in cold and temperate climates who faced the harsh winter weather and scarcity of food during this month. It has also been referred to as the Snow Moon
because snow was often its deepest in certain parts of North America.
Special Notes: Watch for "Punxsutawney Phil" to make his famous and much anticipated prediction on the coming of Spring on Sunday, February 2nd. As legend has it, if "Phil" sees his shadow, the coward will return to his burrow and will stay there for 6 more weeks, signaling that winter will continue! If he doesn’t, there will be an
early Spring (and let’s all hope and pray that he does!).
Holidays: The Christian Festival of Lights, or Candelmas, is celebrated on Sunday, February 2nd. Many churches traditionally marked the day by displaying more candles than usual during the services. In addition to providing more light, it was also believed that they provided protection from illness and plague in the coming year.
Valentine’s Day, February 14th, falls on Friday in 2014. Plan something special under the beautiful full moon’s light for your sweetheart and let them know how much you appreciate them in your life. The birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Wednesday, February 12th) and George Washington (Saturday, the 22nd) are collectively celebrated on President’s day, which falls on
Monday, February 17th to provide us with an extended holiday weekend.
The Garden: Hopefully, "Punxsutawney Phil" will be giving us some good news and we can start thinking about an early spring. Begin uncovering perennials and do some light pruning on those warmer days. Seal all of the cuts well to prevent any infections as the weather warms. Don’t get rid of too many low-hanging evergreen boughs,
though. They will protect ground plants from that late-winter blizzard. Consider cutting some branches of flowering shrubs such as forsythia, pussy willow, quince, and magnolia and bringing them inside for forcing. Keep tabs on all of your houseplants. They need special attention having been cooped up indoors for so long. Check to be sure they are getting enough
sunlight and water and don’t ever let the pots dry out. Always be checking for pests. And please remember to put seeds out for the birds!
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living
"There’s beauty all around us when there’s love at home"
Index of Past Month's Entries
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