Okay, I admit it, I’m not a fan of February. Every year, I wish it would fly by and push us into March. After the holidays, February brings holiday bills to pay, freezing temperatures in the northern regions, hibernation tendencies, snow, lack of light, more snow, colds, flu and then…more non-melting, dirty snow with ice. It’s a bleak, long, tedious month, despite the fewest number of days. But to February's credit, it ushers in March.
March in Pennsylvania is cheered on by the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, featuring rising temperatures, longer days, and vibrant, but unpredictable weather. It’s Women’s History Month, Ides of March, Johnny Appleseed Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Equinox, and a full lunar blood moon that looks red on March 3rd.
For me, it’s a joyful time. Rains will come, but they will leave.
I search my flower beds for new shoots and check the lilac buds to see if I’ll have blooms in April. Daffodils, crocus, snowdrops, tulips, and forsythia burst forth to color the dreary landscape. In the words of Bishop Reginald Heber: “Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.”
Rabbits scurry over the yard looking for tasty new shoots. The neighborhood possum checks out the fallen sunflower seeds below the bird feeder. Canada geese flying overhead sing their tunes of spring. Their sounds remind me to check my many birdhouses which may need paint or repairs before they can be hung outside.
NEW RELEASE - Finding Love in Pine Valley
