BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 18 Apr 20 - 07:00 AM

We had our first swallows (3 of them) of the year yesterday, just about on the usual timing. They could have been here for a couple of days but I've not been outside the garden until I had to go to collect some shopping.

They usually are first seen by a large farming shed at the bottom of our track as that is where they nest each year.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Apr 20 - 04:48 PM

The people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada are probably more starved for spring than those of us who have already had a taste.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Apr 20 - 09:03 AM

The red and orange Azalis are coming out. I have a rare scented Azalea that is by the front door.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: leeneia
Date: 13 Apr 20 - 11:18 AM

Spring arrived in Missouri last week, but left after two days. It was lovely and warm, then temperatures went back to the 50's by day and 30's by night. Yesterday we went out to pick up BBQ, and I had to wear gloves.

Nonetheless, the daffodils have come and gone, the tulips are up, and my yard is sprinkled with purple and white violets.

I believe there were tornadoes in Arkansas yesterday. A terrible side-effect of spring.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: EBarnacle
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 12:17 AM

It's officially Spring. Shad are running on the Delaware..

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 11:39 AM

I see buds on some of the bare trees hereabouts.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 09:04 PM

I dunno,Spring isn't really here until the ocean and the rivers warm up to the point where the shad begin their spawning run--a couple of weeks to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 05:57 AM

Howlng at the moon at 8 PM is becoming a primal way of making our presnce known. It started in Colorado.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Apr 20 - 04:06 AM

We've had a succession of warm, sunny days and yesterday I saw ladybirds, bumble bees, an orange-tip butterfly and a red admiral one, but my neighbour-over-the-road said she's found no end of lily beetles in her tubs. She made me smile as she was most indignant that "Two of them were having sex!!!" She squashed them in flagrante delicto.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Apr 20 - 09:36 PM

And I saw my first itty-bitty mosquito.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 11:04 PM

Saw my first ladybird of the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 10:12 PM

The full moon is certainly majestic tonight against a blue black sky and white clouds of unusual beauty framed by the soundtrack of spring peepers. Its warm with see through trees and might reach 80 tommorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: peteglasgow
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 05:33 PM

i'm just back in the house from taking our lurcher, Rosa, out for her late piss and shite. i live just along from dorothy and william wordsworth's childhood home and where we go is between the back wall of their garden and the river derwent in cockermouth, cumbria. the moon is so bright tonight = i don't think i have ever seen my shadow so dark and well-defined. the daffodils at the back of the wordsworths' are not in in fact 'a host of golden' tonight, they are many, tall and white, with a shadow for each on the grass. and a couple of brightly glistening turds - now safely deposited in william wordsworth's dog shit bin. i do this most nights - me, the dog, the shite, the house and the river. the moon doesn't always show up and the daffodils will soon be gone. and it won't be as quiet as this forever....i hope

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 09:58 AM

My lavender seedling survived the winter and the oregano is coming up. The first shoots of chives are peeping through the winter blanket of fallen maple leaves, and the primula is in full yellow bloom.

The hyacinths are budding, despite rabbit aggression, and the daffs will be out by Easter. The lawn is spangled with little blue thingies that I did not plant and whose name I do not know.

The mourning doves are back, the municipal swans are out of durance vile and back on the river, and the cardinals are in a frenzy of sexy singing.

Spring is busting out all over in Stratford.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 07:19 PM

Really the first day I could go outdoors with no coat or jacket.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 07:05 PM

what do you see this year?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Senoufou
Date: 15 Apr 17 - 09:16 AM

Oooh thanks for that Steve! I didn't know. I actually quite like the weeds in a way, but not if they're going to harbour clubroot.

Our hanging baskets and tubs are in the greenhouse to get established. They've come on tremendously in the past week, (scarlet geraniums in the tubs and purple surfinias in the baskets) But they'll need to be hardened off before we put them outside. I've known late frosts at night in April, and the wind here can be icy cold.

Saw a beautiful thrush in the garden this morning. They're quite uncommon now, so was very pleased to see it.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Apr 17 - 05:52 AM

Don't suffer Shepherd's Purse to reside in your garden if you grow brassicas, as it harbours clubroot.

I've seen a few male and female orange-tips around but no Brimstones as yet. I'll just pop outside!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Senoufou
Date: 15 Apr 17 - 04:31 AM

ragdall, that chickadee looks rather like a coal tit. Very attractive little bird.

Our bluebells are out in the garden (British ones, NOT the brash and bullying Spanish variety). Also lily-of-the-valley, and rather a lot of Shepherd's Purse which will have to be given the boot. Alliums are on the brink of bursting forth (I plant those huge ones, called 'Globemaster')

Oak trees in our part of Norfolk (west) are now at last breaking into leaf. They're always the last. Willows all going great guns along the riverbanks. And at Wroxham (start of the Broads) about a trillion swans mugging the tourists at the outdoor cafe down by the bridge. You wouldn't believe the numbers (swans, not tourists!)

Some pretty lambs in the fields around the village. Saw a white ewe with twin black lambs. Unless she'd 'borrowed' them?

And I always know Spring is here when our lovely neighbour daubs Creocote (not Creosote, that's illegal now) all along our shared fence and it stinks. In fact, it brings on my vertigo. Hope it fades soon.

Lastly, my poor husband has begun his dreadful hay fever, due to the oil-seed rape flowers. Farmers round here seem to have gone for it in a big way this year.The fields are such a bright yellow it hurts your eyes. Bees love it, but my husband is doped up with Piriton and has gone through about 20 hankies in a few hours poor man.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: ragdall
Date: 15 Apr 17 - 02:05 AM

Two Black-capped Chickadees have been taking turns excavating a hollow in a long dead wild cherry tree in my back yard.

This one was resting on the rosebush beside their work site, which I hope will be a deterrent to predators.
https://flic.kr/p/SB5Wft

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 14 Apr 17 - 02:58 AM

The mangos are now on sale in East Ham High Street. A sure sign that summer is coming.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: bbc
Date: 13 Apr 17 - 09:45 PM

Today, the daffodils are blooming in Troy, New York & I saw a Cabbage White Butterfly feeding on one! Yup, Spring's on the way!

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Apr 17 - 07:27 PM

We still don't have leaves on the trees.
The snow, however, is mostly gone, even those expletive-deleted frozen heaps on the curbs and in the parking lots.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 06 Apr 17 - 07:08 PM

I was driving home from the supermarket this morning and the car radio was on. I was only half-listening, as you do sometimes, then I heard (quite likely imperfectly but I'll do my best) a poetical sort of chap, describing how he always first hears the chiffchaff on or within a couple of days of the 19th March. He described each note of the chiffchaff's song as another little nail in the coffin of winter. Now that's what I call poetry!

I've just been watching a documentary about a bloke called Geoff whose job it is to clear snow from the roofs of buildings in Yellowstone in winter to prevent the buildings from collapsing. He stood under a particularly menacing-looking cornice on one roof, pointed out with genuine appreciation the intricate beauty of the snow layers that indicated the many windstorms of the winter, then told us with relish that he couldn't wait to destroy that cornice. Geoff is my kind of feller! Geoff, sorry if you're really Jeff!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Joe_F
Date: 06 Apr 17 - 05:57 PM

A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight
And fronts the wind to unruffle a plume,
His song so pitched as not to excite
A single flower as yet to bloom.
It is snowing a flake, and he half knew
Winter was only playing possum.
Except in color he isn't blue,
But he wouldn't advise a thing to blossom.

-- Robert Frost

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Apr 17 - 02:01 PM

It is raining cats and dogs here, in Massachusetts.
I'm just thankful that it is above freezing.

Subject: RE: BS: Blatant! Signs of Spring - Texas
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 08:36 AM

We're not long looking at modest tidbits of color and tiny green leaves poking out, Texas spring is now like a great painted floozy, spread out all over the place for everyone to see. Nothing "early" about this place any more!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 05:23 AM

Oops... been a while since I said I am in Southeastern New Brunswick, Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 05:22 AM

My tulips were about to bloom. We had sunny days up to 20C. It's white this morning... but forecast to clear and reach 5C this afternoon.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 05:34 PM

Yep, SRS, that's it... The Wild Flower book also id's it as a "Putty Root Orchid"... Pretty nice specimen... Not to fear... We will keep alive and well... Actually we do ver well with most wild flowers... If ya' just look around where you find them and duplicate their surroundings it's amazing how well that transplant...

Last year I found a white trilium about two miles back in the woods and it has come up... No bloom as yet but I didn't find it until the middle of May last year when it was in bloom... Kinda excited to have it come back....

Our Va. Blue Bells self seeded and are all over the woods... As is a dwarf dafodil which only come up about 5 inches and makes a flower about the size of a nickle... Very sweet little plant...

Thanks fir looking that orchid up, SRS... 1788??? My, my, my...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 05:08 PM

Is this the leaf? Aplectrum hyemale? Though it comes from a State of Missouri site, the photo caption says it was taken in Brown Summit, NC. Also calls it "Putty Root Orchid" (such an inelegant name!) Ooooo--identified in 1788--here.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 04:59 PM

I kinda thought you might find that information about your orchid. Taking it home with you to plant in the yard was popular when I started botanizing, but is frowned upon now. I stick with garden-variety transplants. Orchids are also very fussy about where they grow and what they grow in. Good luck keeping it going.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 03:43 PM

Ummmm, the orchid I found is called "Adam 'n Eve" and is considered "very rare", according to oue Va. Wild Flowers book... It also says not to move them...

Opps...

And I was right... The leaf is the leaf and there is a bloom... We'll see...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 02:58 PM

That sounds like a great walk, Bobert! I've gone hiking in the woods around here with a trowel and bucket as well. I have a native prickly pear cactus in the yard (taken before the bulldozed the field where they grew), and a gorgeous large spiderwort I dug up five years ago that comes back every year. I'd like to find another one, but haven't so far. (My neighbor had one, but he tilled it in before I could get to it.)

I also have a wild garlic around the yard that I first dug up in the woods. It's a hard-neck variety that no doubt escaped from a garden a long time ago. It looks like a leek when it is full-size, and I've been tempted to treat it that way. Not ever having actually cooked leeks, I guess I should start at the grocery store and see how they work out, then test the garlic plants. (Any suggestions? Am I the only one who has had this idea?)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 06:56 AM

Our dusting of snow should melt by noon. It IS spring!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Rumncoke
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 09:28 PM

In February I was posting that we hadn't had snow for over a decade, here on the south coast of England right by the sea - so just to spite me it snowed twice last week - nothing much, just nasty cold and a covering that soon melted.

It was sad to see the snow on the plum blossom, though very beautiful too.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 09:10 PM

When it was up to 4 degrees (C) this afternoon (brrrr) we went outside and cut down some of fall's leftovers to make room for this year's new growth. Nice to see tulip leaves struggling upward, as well as a few other things. After swabbing - er, sweeping the deck, a chipmunk came out to help clean up some spilled birdseed. Awwww.....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 12:35 PM

Well, yesterday was gorgeous so I loaded up my small knapsack with some water, several plastic bags and a knife, grabbed my 410/22 rifle (see bear story) fired up the Kubota and headed back into the woods to hunt the elusive morelle mushrooms...

Well, as luck would have it I found a place where Mr. Clifford told me about back 'round a mile up the loggin' road... So I left the Kabota right there in the middle of thye loggin' road, took the key out in case the bear had any thoughts of takin' it on a joy ride and headed down, down down into this valley that runs parrelel to our farm but this was way up where the springs feed the strream that runs thru our neighbors farm...

Well, it was moist in the very middle but dryer on the sides... It kinda looked like a the kinda area where wild flowers would do well so I plunked myself down in one of the dryer areas and just kinda surveyed the 30 or so feet I could see in most directions and I'm real glad I did cause...

...right next to where I had laid my knapsack I noticed an orchid... But it had no stem and the leaf was monsterously large... Like 9 inches long and absolutely beautiful so I carefully took my knife and purdy soon had a the orchid and about a 6 inch root (bulb) ball... When I get my fingers under it and pulled it out I found not one bulb but two white bulbs just a tad smaller than a golf ball... I'm not sure what kind of orchid it is but the P-Vine says they used to grow on a creek when she lived in a wooded area outside of Charlotte and the leaf is the bloom??? Sound fishy to me but I'm
just the the dumb guy...

Also dug up a couple black kohosh which were right there next to where I was sitting... We just add them to our collection...

So then my eye starting to wander and next thing ya know I spied 4 nice morelles (mergals) which are now cut, cleaned and wrapped up in a paper towel in the frig...

Drove to Charlottesville for a medical appointment on Friday which involves going over the mountain and about 3/4's the way up there on the side of US Route 33 was an entire bank of blood root in full bloom... There musta been thousands of blooms... Absolutely spectacular... Makes our little 2 foot patch of them look like nuthin'... Twin Leaf is up... Native trillium are in bloom... Larskspu is up... We have our first bleeding heart bloom... Several early azaleas are beginning to open... Oh yeah, one of our NC natives (yellow) is in full bloom...

That's it fir now...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:10 AM

We had quite a heavy rainstorm early in the morning on Friday but I slept through it. My various recording devices (as such) were the previously empty bird bath and a wheelbarrow--with a lot of water--and dog dishes. One canine rain gauge had been emptied, but they left the other (or most of it) so it looked like we had at least an inch of rain.

Good thing it's the weekend coming up--this is the condition I've wanted for digging up some more garden area.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:47 AM

Rain! Lots of it! Probably 2 to 4 inches between yesterday and when it stops Saturday night. First, solid, soaking rain in over a year. It is gonna mess with my plans to pot things up this weekend, and may cause some minor urban flooding of roads and a basement or two, but wells, lakes, resovoirs (spelling?) etc., are recharging.

I'm grateful this April is starting out like April.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 12:28 PM

I heard a story about that, and it wasn't on April 1. :)

You can mail order the DNA snippet to add to your cultivar, but first you have to send some pretty detailed readings of the DNA of the thing you want to glow in the dark. The make the link you need and ship it back.

I heard it on NPR but I don't remember where.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 12:13 PM

Could save on electric lighting permanently instead of just one hour a year token gesture!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 12:06 PM

BTW, the P-Vine is the president of the Northern Virgina Chapter of the American Azalea Society and we will be hosted the national covention next year and collectively our chapter is raising about 3000 rare hybrids from cuttings... We have about 400 in a 35X10 room on tables growing under florescent light... I'll bring a few to the "Getaway" for my gardening buds here...

BTW, part 2, our chapter has several well known hybridizers including Don Voss, Bob Stuart, Joe Klemivich and Don Hyatt...

True story: Joe Klemivich is trying to intorduce DNA of some small critter that li8ves off the Pacifis coast and glows at night... He thinks that he can hybridize an azalea that would glow at night???

Hybridizers is some very strange people....

B;~)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 12:03 PM

37° and raining here in Southern Maine. At least it ain't snow! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 11:28 AM

Rhodies and azaleas want acid soil, lots of moisture, but they don't want their feet wet. You won't find them in swamps. They probably out compete other plants with leathery leaves blocking the sun and the buildup of acid from decomposing leaves.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:31 AM

Jim Martin,

I don't think they poison the ground at all... Rhodos have vigorous fiberous root systems so my guess is that they can outfight other plants for water...

That's my guess...

Azaleas (also in the Rhoda family) do the same...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 07:27 AM

This week I've seen bumblebees, butterflies and last night a pipistrelle, but they'll all regret it when it snows on Sunday.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 06:48 AM

Our tulips are still shivering under snow, Sinsull!

Snowdrops and crocus have finally emerged, and green daffy-down-dillies are poking up through the garden debris. Cherry blossoms have been persuaded to bloom in a tall vase in the kitchen. And last night I heard the first woodcock of the season calling "Peent, peent".

Maple sap is running well, with a high sugar content. We may be able to boil down enough sap to make a year's supply for us. If, that is, we don't wind up with broken legs from falling through the deep snow in the woods!

Time for pruning our fruit trees. Time to graft new trees to sell.

Spring!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 06:35 AM

Snowing NOW here in New Hampshire. (Consider this to be followed by a string of expletives that I'm too incensed to type) Off to drive the dog sled to work.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 05:23 AM

Sunny and +9C today! Yay! Snow tonight and freezing rain tomorrow. Boo.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 05:13 AM

Talking of 'rhodies', does anyone know how they sterilise the ground around them, which prevents other plants growing? Is it due to their leaves decomposing or is it something their roots put into the ground? Here in Eire & also the UK, much time, effort & money is spent in trying to eradicate them from conservation areas as they completely take over areas and significantly alter the biodiversity!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:32 AM

The real sure sign of spring at last. The first of the 'lost tourists'.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:16 PM

Mom and Dad (near Charleston WV) planted catawba rhodies forty years ago that now completely cover the north side and the northeast corner of the back of their two story house. They be glorious in May!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:16 PM

Lots of wind and a bit chilly today, but the sun is melting the snow. Got another fuel delivery. Bother. Can't wait until THAT'S over. Tomorrow; 40s to 50s and sunny!! It's coming.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 08:45 PM

I grew up in the land of the rhodies--the Puget Sound area. Rhododenron and azalea heaven. They manage to keep some azaleas alive here, but I've never seen anyone attempt rhodies. Some ferns, and I've seen Pierus japonica, whatever that one was in the common name. Andromeda. But no rhodies. The size of a house and such vivid colors. Makes me homesick in the spring. People transplant them when they move, and leave them to people in their wills (I don't know that for sure, but I have a friend who would if she could, so it might happen!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:27 PM

Yeah, Janie.... We had a lotta deer damage to our green spires and acubas but they are also coming back... The deer even ate all the leaves off our "specimin" columnal ivy (non invasive so we dug it up and are going to repalnt it closer to the house where the deer usually don't come...

Our Solomon Seals haven't made an appearance as yet but I think we are about 10 days behind you...

We also moved one of our oak leaf hydrangeas 'cause we had it too deep on the woods and it wasn't blooming...

BTW, everyone... Costco has some nice Rhodos fir like $17... They also have other stuff but these come in 5 gallon pots and are nice plants... Okay, a tad root bound but still nice plants... Check out yer local Costco and see if you can find 'um...

Sorry, SRS, they prolly won't survive yer Texas heat...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:17 PM

The Solomon Seals have broken thru! (The first was again compliments of Bobert). They went dormant early last year and I have been anxiously looking for them, afraid they too had not survived the drought. Lilies are up from 2 to 5 inches, depending on the type. It looks like the old growth on the mophead and lace-cap hydrangeas has died, but new sprouts are starting to appear from the roots.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Springluvr
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 06:02 PM

I feel a bit disappointed that my posts are getting deleted...I really do love spring and the name sphincter for my cat. Today was lovely, 50 degrees F but a bit windy and there was even a small tornado the next town over! I do not speak very english well so perhaps the word sphincter is not what i am for looking? peace and love, springluvr

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:49 PM

A sure fire sound of early spring is James Dovel's Ford tractor, 5 foot rototiller behind, comin' up the driveway...

Yeah, he does everyones veggie garden... Ours is 80 X 30 and he can do it in 15 minutes and charges only 30 bucks!!!

So we've been out laying out our rows all day and getting everything figured out... I even set 3 seven foot tee-pees for the lima beans...

We have some rain due tomorrow night so we'll get the lettuce, beets, spinach, peas and onions in tomorrow and tater by the end of the week...

This year I have left a couple extra feet between the tomato plants so life should be easier come August and September...

I'm beat... My arm is killin' me but, hey, no gains without pain...

B:~)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:33 PM

Ah, gnu, the moral of that story is 'Don't build your house on a floodplain' - or at least forget about having a basement.

Windy enough to blow you away here, but... mayflowers showin' a little white at bud tips... daylilies sprouting... rhubarb crowning... cranesbill loosening its leaf curls... little red leaf buds on the beach rose...

Ooo yeah!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:10 PM

One of the two crocuses opened up today! Well, it was actually blown open by the wind, but it LOOKS nice outside with the sun shining. We lost 300mm of snow overnight and close to that already today. (Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada)

The sun and +8 tomorrow and the rain and +10 Friday have got the riverside folks shakin. They don't call em flood plains fer nuthin.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 01:29 PM

Tulips peeking up through the the snow in Maine. Very reassuring.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 11:15 AM

We need a Mudelf to come do a little weeding. . .

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=108607&messages=263&page=1&desc=yes#2304476

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 11:11 AM

The bulbous buttercups are starting to bloom on southfacing slopes. Also least hops clover and wood sorrel.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:14 AM

Snow forecast again this weekend in the Pennines, some spring eh, global warming my arse.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:46 PM

maeve and katlaughing, thank you.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:24 PM

I haven't been keeping up in reading this thread. My apologies.

Janie, you are leaving your beautiful spot?

Rags - beautiful photos!! Really nice that they are so close. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 10:37 PM

Hi there, Rags! Thanks for the links to your always beautiful photos.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 10:30 PM

Was quite springlike here today after a chilly, wet, windy start to the year, sighted a small tortoiseshell butterfly looking for nectar (I've got some hebe & escallonia in flower)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 10:25 PM

Thanks, Stilly River Sage and Janie.

I seldom post because when I do I feel as if I must be invisible.

I'm realizing that being invisible can be a good thing. As an amateur photographer, it allows me to get much closer than I though possible without frightening away my subjects.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 10:00 PM

I clicked your links. That owl is wonderful! Amazing that you could get that close, even with a lens that might have boosted it.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:58 PM

Not at all, ragdall - enjoyed your photos. Sorry not to have said so earlier.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:51 PM

Hi gnu!
Thanks for clicking the links. Looks as if you are the only one who did?

I woke up this morning to Happy April 1st fresh snow.
rags

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:45 PM

It snowed yesterday. It was in the 60s today and right now, it's 53°F and I have a couple windows open. I can see earth (not at the moment because it's dark) and I have hope.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:38 PM

They take about 30 days to germinate, and will not come up through mulch. If you didn't get them seeded by the end of February you may not get much. Never fear. I'll have more seeds this year, even if I have to come by here under cover of darkness to harvest them. Even if only a few germinate, let 'em bloom, harvest a pod or two and let the rest self-sow. I started with two plants and have a yard full now.

The serviceberry tree is leafing out. The mahonia has bloomed and gone, the peonies are about 6 inches high. The first crop of chickweed is going to seed. Tulips are at their peek. Flowering almonds are in full bloom. The pecans, which are very late to bud, are starting to look a bit fuzzy at the end of the branches. Hope they don't get slammed by a hard late frost, like they did last year.

The squirrels are looking starved and scrawny.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:22 PM

Yeah, Janie, "Tooth Wart", that little invasive spring wildflower is up... It wasn't here when we moved her but hitch-hiked in with some of the other some 550 plants we moved here from Wes Ginny... Guerss the sumabich is here to stay...

Forgot "Windflower" which is in bloom...

We planted yer poppies but nuthing as yet??? But we are really not familair with their growth habits...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:52 PM

Bobert, you sure make me miss the hills and mountains. Bet you will be seeing toothwort, trout lilies, spring beauties, etc., before too long. These dry pine woods around here that were grong tobacco just 50 years ago aren't conducive to those lovely ephemerals.

We have had enough rain to actually matter over the last 4 or 5 days. It looks like some of the species tulips have made it after all. The snowball vibernum is budding out.

Thinking I would have been gone by now, I didn't plant pansies and such last fall. Those who did have lovely displays in pots and in beds now.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:24 PM

Hit 72 degrees here in Page Co. Virginia.... Our farm is on a ridge that runs off another ridge called "Tanners Ridge"....

Today the "blood root" bloomed big white blooms with yellow centers... It is one of the first of the Virginia wildflowers to bloom each spring... "Twin leaf" has decided to make an apppearance...

Two ducks on the pond as we speak so the tadpoles will get thined out....

Today was a day for moving plants... Yeah, every gardener knows that somwetimes things don't work out and moving is the answer... We moved an oakleaf hydranga, a rodo, a grand blande boxwood and an very unusual ivy that frow columnal but does not spread... The dear feasted on it this past winter so qwe figured we'd bring up closer to the house and give it a ***promotion*** which means it is going to get a prime spot...

That's all from here...

B:)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:02 PM

It was 50 here today, and lots more mud and bare spots!! If we get more of this, it'll go fast, and there will be spring soon, but who knows. Down into the 20s again tonight and cool tomorrow, but great sugaring season weather. Good stuff too, but expect to pay $40 a gallon for it.

Janie, I was travelling with Mom and my sister and it was too hectic to put anything else in. I do get down to Charlottesville to play with David Scheim now and then and will let you know when I'm in that neck of the woods again.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:00 PM

I have the office window open and I hear blackbirds singing!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:14 PM

Today I had a slow worm on the step in the garden basking in the sun. The first slowly of the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 02:55 PM

Kat, that's lovely. In my Favourites and emailed to my sister, who's just as snowbound as i am.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 12:56 PM

For those of you still waiting for signs of spring...a little fun:


Happy Spring!

Click on the link below,
You'll get a black page.

Then click your mouse anywhere on the page
see what happens.
Better yet, click and or drag your mouse
all over the page.
Or just hold it in one spot.

LINK

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:20 AM

Yo Rags!!!! Long time no see. BEAUTIFUL pics!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 02:12 AM

I saw this Robin perched on the top of a Spruce tree beside the Yellowhead Highway, today.

Okay, it's not a Robin, but I think it must be a sign of Spring, anyway? I was so excited to see it! I still am. I never expected to be able to photograph one of these.

If I don't get credit for the bird, I do have some crocuses in bloom. They're my earliest sign of Spring in the garden.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 09:44 AM

This morning was THE morning to throw the blankets off with the realization that overnight all of the covers went from adequate to being way too much. A warm front moved through and we will consider switching to the AC. I'll use ceiling fans for a while before I turn it on, but it is a warm and muggy morning.

Guest with no name and little connection to the actual thread, if you don't choose a name to use consistently and make an effort to have something to do with the threads you post to, you'll be deleted. Fair warning.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Peace
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:33 PM

Spring has arrived. Only four inches of snow last night. Summer is just around the corner.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:28 PM

My tadpoles in the pond are looking very healthy. I have marsh marigolds out as well. Felt quite spring like today while I was pottering in the garden in a t shirt!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:21 PM

fuzzy looking lavendar colored flowerbuds - about 2 inches long - on the wisteria across the street.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: scouse
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 06:09 AM

Spring has indeed arrived here in dear "Cloggieland." The swan who nests in the same place every year has been sittin' on nine EGGS for at least two weeks now!!!!
As Aye,
Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 02:26 PM

2 of the MOST ADORABLE little white crocuses you've ever seen are in my front garden near the sidewalk - surrounded by dried leaves and dormant wooley thyme. People walking by sometimes stop and stare at them. Stunned. Flowers. Life. Emerging. It cannot be!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 02:18 PM

Just noticed a bit of bloom on the surviving bleeding heart. The dogwoods are just starting to pale. The catbirds are back.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 10:32 AM

The daffodils are magnificent this mornin'... Some are in full bloom and others just behind...

Lotta stuff wigglin' in the woods gardens... The yellow trillium patch has expanded to what looks like 6 plants...

A little tooth wart that hitch hiked fown from Wes Ginny is up and will bloom today or tomorrow...

We are growing about 600 azaleas from cuttings in the barn and some of them have actually bloomed!!!

The wax wings get here in 3 weeks for their one week stop over...

Junkos are thinning out and heading northward...

We've seen a couple of ducks on the pond that hang out every year for a month or so and live off tadpoles...

That's about it... Oh, the Linten roses are sooooooo beautiful...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 09:55 AM

Oh Susan - next time you are in NC, or in VA near the NC border, let me know you are coming!

I'm looking out my front window at pink and red tulips, blue dutch iris, columbine and creamy daffodils.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 09:20 AM

Janie, we only get those 90 days in June, July and early August, and not too many of them. It wouldn't be so painful, but I was just down in VA and NC where there are daffodils, forcythia, pear and tulip trees all blooming like mad. I refuse to wear boots any longer, a decision I may well regret as all of this stuff melts, but I get tired of feeling so darned HEAVY.   

I do smell the smoke from some local sugaring operations now and then. Although the maple sugar season is spotty and really late this year, I'm told the sugar content on what they are getting is amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 05:16 AM

Janie. Have I got some real estate for you! The best of both worlds. -30 to 100F no problem. As I type this, I hear the beep-beep-beep of the salt truck backing up on my dead end street. In two months, I will be installing the air conditioners.... maybe sooner.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:29 PM

The maples are leafing out here, the stems on the larkspur are beginning to elongate, as are the poppies. Baby house finches in the beaded candle sconces on the front porch. Peepers are scarce due to drought. Lots of ornamental trees in bloom. High today was 79F, but it is going to cool down tonight and be mid 50's tomorrow. Thought we were going to get a bit of rain this evening, but it passed us by. I"m not sure which is best (or worse), snow drifts the end of March, or days and days of 90F+ in August.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:50 PM

"Two feet of snow"?

That is excessive! And here I was whining about a mere 4 inches in our driveway in Maine.

Poor little crocus!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 08:26 PM

It's snowing, There's two feet of snow in my front yard, It's supposed to get down around 10 tonight, maybe colder tomorrow night. I had ice build-up on my porch roof and have to rip out walls in the down stairs apartment, There's water, ice and muck in my driveway.   I don't believe it's coming. I have lost faith. (well, at least there's muck, maybe there's hope.)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: dwditty
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 07:18 PM

Last night when I let the dogs out, I heard the peepers in the pond out back for the first time this year. A sure sign.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 06:17 PM

Yea spring! I'm so glad you started this thread, Kat. I'm sorry that I've been whining so much about our long, long winter. I went out for a walk this afternoon and the snowbanks are indeed receding. There are bits of tulip, daffodil and crocus showing tips of their varied foliage, and robins are finding bare earth to go looking for worms. I didn't even need to wear boots today!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 02:09 PM

You might be surprised. I've seen crocuses in the snow before. They're tough little flowers.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 01:28 PM

I have discovered what the ???'s in Mum's flower bed are. Crocuses. The flowers have formed on several and they are ready to bloom anytime. But, I expect they will wait at least until after the snow which is just getting under way.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Alice
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 12:18 PM

12 Robins in the backyard trees yesterday morning. The ground is frozen and covered with snow. I hope they find enough to eat.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:58 AM

Here's an early sign of spring here. I'm sure it will clear up in about an hour and the sun will be shining again. Its been doing this off and on all week.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: curmudgeon
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:25 AM

On Wednesday, I was starting to believe in Spring. Low 50s, sun, got a lot of wood losed from the ice. Now its snowing, again; all the loose firewood is buried. We've all but given up on trying to be warm - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:11 AM

6 inches of snow and counting! My man had to go get more wood from Treehugger Farms- we'd just unloaded a huge pile of green cordwood but that won't keep us warm today, so he's off to get a Jeepload of kiln fired stuff. Might as well throw dollar bills into the stove...

but I saw robins in the village yesterday!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:43 AM

You can't quit now!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:16 AM

It was 50° yesterday...today it's friggin' snowing. I quit.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:49 AM

I spied one squished white crocus near the front sidewalk. There's too much snow to know where else to put our garbage and recyling cans.
The cedar waxwings are gone now. They and the robins stripped the tree across the street totally bare in about 3 days.
Where are the red-winged blackbirds? Have they crossed the border yet?

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:23 AM

"Beer bottles and cans popping up ......"

Sounds just like Ireland (apart from the snow/ice)!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 02:25 PM

It's +1C and sunny!

The ice crust on the snow is about 150mm thick, so it's easy to walk on the 1 - 2m of snow. The maple slurpup camps are bustling. The streets are chock full of potholes and ruts. Pedestrians are covered with muddy water from being splashed. Kids are slipping off the 2 - 3m "cliffs" that the big snowblowers made when making room for more snow and falling on the ice, breaking and fracturing this and that. Beer bottles and cans are poking up through the snow in the country road ditches like spring flowers. Vehicle floormats and carpets are thawing out and giving off that aroma of a winter's worth of crud and crap.... YES! spring is in the air!

(Valid only from noon to dusk. Not available in all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Check local weather conditions.)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 12:11 PM

I can really tell it's spring when I don't like my winter clothes anymore. If only I didn't have to still wear them....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 12:28 AM

We have year-round vultures and hawks down here in Texas. There are turkeys in the woods near the house, but they're cagey, we don't see them very often. The come a little way out of the woods to feed then head back. Amazing how such big birds can hide so well.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Escapee
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 12:13 AM

I saw three turkey vultures today. Not as cute as robins, but we have a few robins around all winter in northern Ohio. Vultures are real spring birds. The goldfinches are getting brighter every day.
Hang on, everybody! We can do this. Just a few more weeks. The walleyes are in the river, can the white bass be far behind?
SKP

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:07 PM

Tweren't the cold what did the pulmonaria in, Bobert. Twas the dreadful drought. I'm taking inventory this spring. Wasn't sure late summer and early fall last year as to what just went dormant early and what croaked.

Mowed the grass (or rather, the weeds and wildflowers) for the first time yesterday. Should have been done at least 10 days earlier, and it was quite a job. The lumbar spine hasn't forgiven me yet. The yard was full of purple deadnettle, common speedwell, chickweed, and the like. Now it looks bare and brownish again.

There are places in my yard that are usually thickly blanketed with white and purple violets this time of year. The drought has been so deep that it has really stunted them and their spread also.

The holly trees are blooming now and the buzz of honey bees working their sweet-scented blossoms fills the air as thickly as the floral aroma on mild days. Isn't it great that tiny, insignificant flowers often have the headiest smell?

I've only seen Cedar Waxwings once in my life. A large flock came through one early spring morning, a number of years ago, stormed a large Eastern Red Cedar, stripping it of it's blue berries in what seemed like no time at all, then headed on north. I was quite taken with them and have watched hopefully but in vain for them every spring since.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 10:37 PM

The snow is still 2-5' deep in most places in our part of Maine. However, a southerly-facing bed has lost the last of its snow so I cleared away the road debris and last year's stalks today. Daffodils have emerged, Honesty seedlings have survived, and the tips of daylily leaves are pale green against the dark earth around them.

Chickadees sing their spring song and mourning doves are calling back and forth. Sweet maple sap drip drip drips into our collecting jugs.

Spring!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 09:57 PM

I saw a flock of cedar waxwings this morning too - eating last year's fruit off the neighbour's tree. Beautiful!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 02:05 PM

Obviously, that particular crow was a shop steward and there was a grievance.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:41 AM

Cool, gnu! Crows have pretty intricate lives, and it's always a little spooky to watch their behaviour in huge flocks. I once witnessed what I swear was a 'council meeting', behind some sand dunes. Big flock of crows on the ground, about a hundred. 100 feet away, about twenty crows. All the crows were 'talking'. Every five minutes or so, one crow would fly to the larger group, confer, then fly back to the small group. Always wondered what they were 'talking' about.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:33 AM

A busy little flock of cedar wax wings visited my back yard this morning, coming and going in the old hackberry, dressing it up very nicely for a few minutes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 09:03 AM

Janie,

Glad the Linten Rose is doing well for you... We also have two crimson Linten Roses and they are just starting to make babies so we'll have some of them available this year...

Also, palmonaria??? Can't see how you could loose them unless a vole ate the roots... They are very hardy...

We went away for Easter and returned late yesterday to snow... Just flurries but it's 27 degrees out there now... It is supposed to get up to 54 today with 60's tomorrow so I think that spring has sprung and more and more stuff will be up every week...

Mushroom hunting season is less than a month away... Yumm...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 08:45 AM

Heard my first Skylark of the year just outside the house in a field whistling his little heart out with his mate following, but he didn't climb very high in the sky as they do later on.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 06:36 AM

Now, there are only two. Probably the two I have been feeding and videoing all winter.

It's like they met up here. A few minutes of silence, then a thunder of caws, then a bunch would take off to the north, then a bunch to the south... then silence... then... fascinating.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 06:28 AM

Got up about 4AM. Just as the dawn began, so did a noise. It quickly got louder. I looked up from my desk and saw movement in the pines against the sky. I peered out the window... there were about a hundred crows in my maple in the middle of the yard... well over a hundred in the 4 pines... well over two hundred on the apartment building roof behind the pines. I didn't see them all at first. It was only as dawn light came on that I realized how many there were. Got most of it on video, too.

Definite a sign... a good sign.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 24 Mar 08 - 09:22 PM

A quick answer to the Guest above then back to the topic of spring.
Nope..."black walnut" is because my first Celtic harp and my fretted dulcimer are both made from black walnut.

Back to the topic. Spring? We had snow last night and we're in for more tomorrow.

Sigh....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 02:08 PM

Nasty highways? Say it ain't so! Husband just left for work in NB... will be calling me to tell me he got there in 4...3...2...

But he's a careful driver with studded winter tires. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 02:01 PM

Yeees, Bee! It was a beautiful morn here. Only -11 at noon. But, the wind made it -22 windchill. And the ground drift made the highways kinda nasty.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 01:37 PM

Last post was me. Husband trashed alla cookies without tellin' me.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 11:32 AM

Cold as it is, the lake remains open, there really are pussywillows, and the snow is largely gone here. I remain chilled but optimistic. (but if that north wind would just die!)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 04:02 AM

Early signs of feckin winter more like, and as someone else said, I'm just going outside now, I may be gone sometime, I've got to scrape the global warming off my windscreen.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 12:38 PM

Yeees, sIx! I gotta go back out but I am puttin on me old shin pads! And, I am gonna use the snowblower so I have at least something to hang onto.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: number 6
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 12:24 PM

Early signs of spring ??!!?? HuH .... it's just down right miserable here in SJ. That effen icy wind blowing off of the Bay of Fundy is gonna kill me.

gnu ... we gotta watch our old bones eh .... I slipped on the ice first thing yesterday when I took the hounds out for their morning walk.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 12:09 PM

I slipped on the 150mm thick ice while shovelling a few minutes ago so I came inside to console myself and warm up. It's snowing again!

And, I just looked at the weather forecast to see what the rest of the day may bring and noticed it says snow on Wednesday.

At least the tulips and the ??? are covered with snow. Thanks Becca.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 09:05 AM

No ther lilies were indoors but its is the theme now with Easter.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 09:16 PM

Donuel - thanks for the pix. Those lilies - those aren't in bloom now, are they?

The earliest Dutch Iris are blooming now. In fact, this is the first time since I planted this particular variety that they haven't got nailed by frost before the blooms opened. More tulips blooming. We didn't have enough cold this winter for the tulips to do very well. I am surprised that a number of small, species tulips do not appear to have survived. They are natives of Turkey and the mountains of the mideast, and were planted 3 years ago. Earliest daffs are pretty shrivelled. Early daffs fading. Mid season daffs at their prime. Late season, such as my personal faves - thalia just putting one their show, and the narcissis are going strong. Redbuds have popped out like magic in the last week. Two columbines - look like crosses between the native columbine and some cultivars I've had over the years, are in full bloom - way early. No other columbines appeared to have survived the drought or to have self-sowed. Have lost all but one bleeding heart to drought. I think I lost most of my hydrangeas too, except for a stand of native Hydrangea arborescens. They are the only ones I'm seeing any bud swell on. Many dead azaleas (again, old shrubs) and those that are alive are obviously in bad shape.

Hellebores doing well - and the white linton rose I obtained from Beaubear 4 years ago has really taken off this year. I love the creamy white of the bloom, Bobert. Lost all but one pulmunaria. It is scrawny, but it is blooming. Lost all of my ferns (had just started the fern garden two years ago so they weren't well established.) It looks like a few of a thick stand of Japanese Anemones may have survived. I'm surprised and pleased to see any at all made it. 5 boxwoods at least 70 years old are dead. I had a number of different cultivars of echinecea,including some of the new orange and sherbet cultivars that won't cost nearly as much in a few years. Usually they have nice rosettes by now. Thought I had lost most of them, even the well-established clumps of native and drought tolerant purpurea, but it appears that many have survived - barely. Isolated, tiny leaves popping up. Rose campion doing well. Poppies everywhere. They need thinned badly, but I am going to be moving so am not thinning so I can get seeds of as many different colors as possible to take with me. Don't matter if this year's crop has small flowers, so long as I get the seeds.

The catbirds are back.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 08:17 PM

Six? Just six? Fire that little sucker up!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 07:52 PM

Groundhog Day

Every year the residents of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania hold a special celebration on Groundhog Day, which is, again, 2 February. On that day, if the resident groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his hole on Gobblers Knob and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 04:21 PM

Here is our 1st full day of Spring in the park today

http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring1.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring2.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring4.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring5.jpg


http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring6.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring7.jpg


http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring8.jpg


http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don/spring9.jpg

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 09:08 AM

Let's see...

Crokuses in bloom, bleeding hearts pokin' up, palmaneria's in bloom, Linten rose in bloom, Camellias bloomed and went, Virginia Blue Bell pokin' up, early diciduous azalea (pink) in bloom, willows leafing out, grass getting greener...

Robins arrived last week... Junkos still hangin' round...

That's 'bout it fir now...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 08:58 AM

Becca, bad!

We are being thrifty and planning ahead and getting in the wood before the sap flows and...

Funny wummin!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 08:44 AM

Maeve,
My mother always said that would happen if you sit on the cold ground too long! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 08:08 AM

Of course it's spring. The woodpiles in our yard are growing rapidly.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 07:11 AM

Bee... "Could be worse."

Ya just had ta say that, didn't ya!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 05:27 PM

ROBINS, ROBINS, ROBINS!!!!
REAL ROBINS!!!
YEAH!!! ROBINS!!!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 03:22 PM

Yup, gnu, it's friggin' miserable out.

Could be worse. Was talking last night to a fellow who just got in yesterday from offshore, out by Sable Island. They had hurricane force winds out there the other day. From the sounds of it, he still has a couple pairs of pants need washing.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 02:03 PM

In southeastern New Brunswick, it could go either way, but, the May Moon is on the 20th (June is the 18th), so, given what we have seen so far, my guess (at 50.01%) is that we will have no frost after May 30. Of course, if you do the arithmetic, there is a 49.99% chance that we will have frost as late as about June 21st.

If you wish to consult a more informed source, contact Mother Nature.

Oh, BTW, on this first day of spring, there is about 10mm of ice on my truck.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 11:21 AM

Mid June to late September it's just about perfect here in Maine, Janie.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:50 PM

Charley's being an Eeeyore. Maine ain't too different from Nova Scotia and NB, and while June can be cold, by the middle of it every native plant that can hold a flower is sproinging them out as fast as it can. We don't have a Spring, we have an Explosion.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 10:41 PM

Janie-

It should be safe to come to Maine by July.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 10:10 PM

About when is the best time to visit Maine and environs to witness those lovely meadows of lupine and other spring meadow flowers, etc?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 04:42 PM

I found pussywillows today. yay!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 04:09 PM

As Becca said, it's snowing again. Our Spring at the moment consists of branches brought in for forcing, and rows of potted bulbs on the cellar shelves. I brought the first of them up this week, and now we have pots of snowdrops, yellow crocus, and delicate purple iris blooming and ready to sell.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 03:58 PM

The Bradford pears, one early pear in my back yard, and the tulip trees are blooming. The redbuds will be along any day now.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 02:24 PM

So much for Spring....it's feckin' snowing AGAIN!

Gnu, your wish is my command....here it comes :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 02:22 PM

Bee... you know... the ones that have that haunting cry... Keeee... Keeee... KeeeeRISTE IT'S COLD!!

I was just looking at me mum's flower bed next to the basement wall on the south side of the house. The tulips (and sommat else as yet unidentified) are breaking through. Some are up an inch. So, you Maineacs send that snow up here pronto, eh! I don't wanna have to chop down through the ice to get snow to cover them.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:42 PM

If I could I would send you a warm westerly wind, gnu....which does not mean I am planning to fart in your general direction, henglish person.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:14 AM

Bee..LOL...that'll learn ya not to pay attention to the boys!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:00 AM

Here in Maine we had some flowers poking their heads up this week. But now they're getting buried under five inches of snow! Serves 'em right! There's still a day left of winter.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 10:23 AM

The daffodils are mostly finished, as is the Japanese flowering quince. The local redbuds are going full tilt; the ones that came from a nursery are a little slower to bloom. Mine is just beginning to open.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 09:01 AM

Gnu... Kiki birds?

At least the lake has stayed open, and I keep reminding myself that the very latest, according to my stack of old marked up calendars, that the peepers have started singing here was April 17, and the earliest was April 12. Not so long now.

But the cats are getting bored from wanting to be warm indoors too much, and finding new and interesting things to do. Tommy has learned that if he squashes the spacebar/alt/shift/ctrl down with his paw, things appear on the monitor. If you see really odd messages (odder than usual) under my nick, it means the little bugger has mastered typing. Snowball is more direct. If I am not-patting-him while using the computer, the act of him standing up off my lap, turning round, and setting his fluffy white arse down in the middle of the keyboard will certainly get my attention.
tyui
fghjk
cvbnm
is his most common message.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 05:59 AM

Awwww, Kat!

Metch. No deafening chorus of birds here. Just the chatter from their beaks. "Singing"? No, not even the Kiki Birds.

But, it is going to warm up today. So the Good Friday storm can start toninght... snow, to sleet, to freezing rain tomorrow and back to snow Friday.

One "early" Easter when I was a lad, snow started on Thursday eve and stopped on Sunday morn. I used snowshoes to get to the front of the house to shovel so we could see out the front room window. Hmmm, my snowshoes are out in the garage.

Our sidewalks are ice... uneven treacherous ice as much as a foot deep in spots... the city ran out of salt weeks ago.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 01:06 AM

A pair of robins are nesting again in my woodshed and the chickadees were at the bird feeder for the first time since last fall. Don't know where they went. I thought they hung around all winter, but for some reason or other they weren't very interested in what I had to offer. Was up just before dawn the other morning and the chorus of birds was almost deafening. Despite the cool blustery wind today, Spring has definitely arrived here in the Pacific Northwest.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:54 AM

Mowing, already? I wish I had something that grew well enough to be mowed. Maybe this year, we'll be able to get the irrigation pump going and a bit more water, though I feel guilty about using too much water.

Bee and bw, thanks...he did it again today when he knocked one over. He tried to prop it back up by cupping it. I saved the day by showing him how to use a stick to help it stand tall. He thinks I am wonderful and know magical things.:-)

Bee, I shall be envious when you tell us of your beautiful autumn; I remember New England then..it was gorgeous.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:44 AM

We've got lots of March winds here, and more rain than we have had in a long time - though still below normal. The purple deadnettle, wild garlic and wild onions need mowing, but the prolonged drought has clearly injured or killed even the bermuda grass.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 07:27 PM

Oh, what a sweetie, kat!

My neighbour, originally from England, and I had ourselves a daytrip to the city for shopping today. The wind was wicked strong and cold, there's hard snow on the ground and no sign of green anywhere - unless you count spruce trees.

We were both moaning about the heartlessness of the English - her sisters and other rels telling her all about the daffodils and green grass, and me sympathising with tales of the outrageous Springy things being told of here (from other places, too, but we were blaming just the English today).

We're going to wait until October and tell you all how gorgeous our autumn is, what with the great swathes of red and orange and yellow, the sunny blue skies, the warm temperate afternoons...

That'll larn yez!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 02:45 PM

Oh my!!! So very sweet, and thoughtful, and connected to the earth.... thanks for sharing that, Kat.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 01:19 PM

LOL {{{black walnut}}}

Our crocus started blooming this week and the daffs are half up, the iris have sent up tiny pointed shoots. I was pointing out the crocus to Morgan as he'd stepped on one. I explained to him how they come up every year and are too delicate to pick. He squatted down, cupped his hands around one and began to stroke it. I asked him what he was doing..."petting it, mama!" He then told it he was sorry for stepping on it and how pretty it was. Talk about melting my heart!

It's still a bit chilly to spend much time out, but there are promises of what's to come.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 10:52 AM

We are beginning to see hope again as the snow very gradually melts. And my husband saw a robin this morning, but blimey who knows how it's finding any food....

I've been wandering around mumbling "Always winter, but never Christmas..."

~d

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 09:52 PM

Maggie, that'll do. I can't even see GREEN yet!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 08:12 PM

I've mowed the front yard twice already. I ran out of gas and had to filler-up (that set me back!) for the season and will mow the side yard this evening and the back tomorrow. If we get rains like last year this is a really great exercise routine. Front yard twice a week, back yard twice a week, staggering the days and it's four 45 minute workouts. Add another hour if I trim the entire thing.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 11:19 AM

For winter's rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 11:10 AM

The robins are here!! I saw about a half dozen of the red-breasted little buggers this morning. Of course, we are supposed to get more S#@% this weekend, too...

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 06:58 AM

The shelduck are back (Northants. UK). Saw my first bumble bee last evening.

Spring in the air.

Spring in the air yourself, Vicar !

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 05:12 AM

Oops!!! Sorry....

"They are telling us now to expect near HALF that much on Monday, ..."

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 06:51 PM

We got 20cm of snow last night, wet and fluffy, neighbour plowed me out, but I had to shovel our large deck off- heavy stuff. But the lake is still open and Mergansers are courting on it.

And yeah, gnu, more coming on the weekend...sigh...

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:46 PM

Full moon on Good Friday. Within ten days of that, we will know.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: skarpi
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:39 PM

its comin , but we have few more weeks until then

ATB skarpi

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:36 PM

0.8m? Oh my. My heart bleeds for you. With envy! They are telling us now to expect near that much on Monday, on top of a shitload more than 800mm.

It's beautiful here as I type. -6 and sunny. -18 tonight. Maple slurpup weather. If you can get around the streets that are full of ice... salt has run out.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:31 PM

Our woodpeckers have been busy for a couple of weeks now, hammering the woods across the street from me. Sounds wonderful!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: bobad
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:27 PM

Heard the song of the red winged blackbird for the first time today - a sure sign of spring but he will have to be intrepid as we have about 80 cm. of snow still on the ground.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:16 AM

Bee... if it happens in the sky...

Your husband is distracted by Cindy? Not I. Well, maybe a little. Especially on Fridays. On Fridays, she usually wears a sweater, often black, with a simple necklace of.... ahem! You say we might get some snow or whatever toward the weekend?

... Cindy Day knows why.

PS - That Peter Coade is a drunken bum!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Penny S.
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 04:01 PM

First bumblebees were in December, I think.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 03:57 PM

Supposed to get up to 83 later this week. It goes from cold to hot fast here (this isn't hot). I miss having a long drawn out spring, but I'll take whatever I can get. Summer here is a killer.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 02:23 PM

Oh my, I hope so, gnu (bet those pics are pretty). I heard there might be another weekend bout of nasty weather, but the local weatherpersons are being quiet about it, even snow-lovin' Cindy. Odd, my husband never complains when she announces bad weather, but commonly asserts that the other forecasters are no doubt 'drunken bums!' when they do the same. Er, except for Maria, when she fills in.... hmmmm...

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 02:11 PM

Bee.... I stopped to take pics of some pines with a coat of ice and icicles dripping from the tips of their branches, dancing in the sun. Truly beautiful. While I was taking the pics, I noted ALL THE DUCKS whipping around above!! Oh, gosh I hope we are in for an early spring.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 10:36 AM

Five mergansers showed up yesterday - I've just got home, so now I'll be watching for the main flock to arrive. The chickadees have switched their song from 'chickadeedee' to sweet weather. I heard a White Throated Sparrow this morning trying to remember his song - it seems to take them a while to get up to 'maids, maids, maids, put the teakettle on'.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 08 - 11:21 PM

Oh--and Spinosad. Green Light makes one version. It's recommended by the Garrett (the Dirt Doctor).

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 08 - 11:19 PM

Janie, visit my pal The Dirt Doctor. I haven't been back to the site in ages, but he is always good for remedies for things like ants. And he's on several radio stations around the U.S. as well as streaming online on Sunday mornings for a couple of hours.

Funny, I just did a search in the forum. On a short discussion about fire ants, a woman said she has had great luck sprinkling nutrasweet (aspartame) on them. Hell, it'll kill us sooner rather than later, might as well take some ants with you!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Art Thieme
Date: 10 Mar 08 - 10:45 PM

With global warming, me thinks that March is the new April.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 09 Mar 08 - 11:36 PM

Yep. it's spring. The ants are back. big ants. Little ants. Brown ants. Black ants. In the corners of the bathtub. marching along the baseboards. along the back of the kitchen sink.   Drop a breadcrumb from a sandwich in the countertop, miss wiping down one tiny little spot after supper, leave a dish in the sink, and they will soon be right on it.

Boric acid solution doesn't slow them down. Terramite slows them down some - but actually seems to draw more in from outside. Hundred year old wood house. Hollow walls. Lots of cracks and crevices that give access from the outside to tiny creatures. Being of the organic persuasion I have refused to consider the services of an exterminator for the 14 years we have lived here. But I think I'm about to surrender.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 09 Mar 08 - 12:42 PM

Oh frabjous day! Last night's rain, high wind and thick fog has melted the lake ice! It's still furiously windy, and all that's left of what was a solid sheet of ice yesterday is a floating skim of slushy crystals, driven into the downwind coves and diappearing fast. Now I can anticipate a visit from flocks of Common Mergansers. These handsome birds stop on our lake to feed and to court here every year on their way to nesting grounds further North, and they are seldom more than a day or two behind the thaw.

This has made me so happy that I've had my first genuinely creative idea since November. Spring Ahead!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 07:42 PM

LOL!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 06:26 PM

There is that side of things, Janie. Our Spring is late and long and wet and cold, and a frost can occasionally kill your flowery hopes in the middle of June, but when Spring does finally make it, everything wild bursts into leaf and blossom all at once, every tree and shrub is flaunting blankets of flowers and uncurling green leaves at the same time. And our Fall goes on into November, usually sunny and mild long after the bugs have all diasappeared.

Plus, I lived in Florida for a year, and while I don't know about your area, that tropical paradise sports chiggers, ticks, black widow spiders, enormous mosquitos, monster cockroaches, fire ants, poisonous snakes, alligators, tremendous lightning storms, tornados, sinkholes into which your house can fall. Now, the abundance of fresh ripe fruit and the scent of gardenias may almost make up for those shortcomings...

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 03:54 PM

Come July and August, when I am sweltering in 95F at 9:00pm in an unairconditioned house, with a yard full of dead things from two years of drought, taking 3 minute showers due to massive regional water shortages, I will revisit the pros and cons of living in the southern USA, and wonder why I get no sympathy from you guys.

Can I take back the link to the tulip?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 03:34 PM

It rained last night, it rained this morning, and it froze on the trees. I went to the market, and on the way home, the sun came out. I got out of the care, and the world was LOUD! Dogs were barking birds were chirping or cawing, depending on their proclivities, and nearly drowning it all out was the sound of ice melting and falling or dripping on everything below. It's gorgeous out there!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 03:26 PM

Janie... whimper..

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 03:23 PM

Spring? Ha. I'm going out to shovel again....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 02:57 PM

I don't mean to be cruel, but the first of the 'Red Riding Hood" greigii tulips in my garden has been blooming since Monday.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 11:27 AM

'Sprinter'! Right you are, gnu, and it's a completely miserable and typical early March day here, and my poor husband was supposed to be working outside somewhere in the NB wilderness today. Hopefully they shut the job down until it's over.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Arnie
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 10:59 AM

Reports this weekend of loads of Dutch caravanners heading up the East Coast to Scotland - must be Spring then!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: curmudgeon
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 10:37 AM

Now, with only 13.5 inches to go to erase all previous records for snowfall in NH, it's raining freezing stuff. And the only thing springlike about t are the tips of firewood chunks sprouting from the snow that's left - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 06:04 AM

Still waiting? We had spring again yesterday and the day before yesterday (aftera day with about 400mm of snow with wind). It was soooo nice outside. Snowing again as I type. 20mm if sleet to come before spring rain again this afternoon. Suppose to be +5C and sunny the next two days.

Maybe this is "sprinter"?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 06:18 PM

Spring? I'm still waiting. Here in Southern Maine it was about 54° at 10am when I came to work. Saturday last we got about 8" in a snow storm and tomorrow they are predicting an ICE storm for the area. But today it was 54°!! I quit winter.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 06:15 PM

Linten roses are in full bloom here in Page Co., Va... And they are beautiful...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 05:58 PM

Sounds a nasty little job, SRS.

I finally saw a sign of Spring this morning. No fleurs or froggies, but as i walked on the frozen wasteland that is our dirt road this morning, the first flock of Canada Geese, calling continuously as they come North.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 05:08 PM

Snow on my plentiful daffodils last night, but no accumulation. Bright and warmer today. Those darned cannas are coming up in the bed beside the front porch. I have to dig it out because it is full of granular roof debris from the decomposing roof I had to replace last fall. So I'll dig out the tar and the canna roots. I don't want them there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 09:03 PM

They are wonderful little weeds - and quite a few of them aren't even natives, but tagged along with us when we migrated from Europe. A favourite thing of mine to do, when I lived near a set of train tracks, was to hike along the line in midsummer and see what Western or Central Canada plants (usually annuals) had managed to hitch a ride on a dusty train car, to flourish for just one summer in an environment that wouldn't allow them the time to propagate.

Once, not near a railroad but in a pine stand in a dry area, I found a very beautiful flower that I've never identified. It was lavender in colour, large as a small tulip, but with a nodding (bell) head. The edge of the bell was spreading and ruffled, and a darker purple than the body of the flower. Leaves were strap-like, plant eight to ten inches high, stem thin. It looked like it might have been a wild lily of some sort, but it had no separate petals, just the entire bell (like a harebell). Also, not likely a lilium, more likely an annual of some kind. I guessed its seed flew in with a migrating bird from some Southern location, and just managed to find the spot where it could grow..

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 08:05 PM

Bee - Oops! I know better and did it anyway!    Heal-all (prunella vulgaris) is NOT called henbit here,( except when people like me get confused.) Thanks for setting me straight.

Heal-all is common here, but not as common as henbit or purple deadnettle, both of which are done blooming and often dormant before heal-all begins to bloom around these parts.

Such a wondrous thing about these 'weeds', is they are so adaptable as to be common in my garden here in the southern USA, and your garden 1500 miles or more to the north of me.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: RangerSteve
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 06:45 PM

Daffodils are sprouting in my front yard.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 10:48 AM

I'll second that, Rap... ditto for Art, just in case.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 09:21 AM

Dear Amos,

Bite me.

Sincerely,
Rapaire

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Amos
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 09:14 AM

This weekend has been particularly tough on us here in San Diego. A temperature change interrupted the pleasant rain we were experiencing, and dumped a good eleven inches of bright sunlight on all of us. Families were forced to break out their stored summer clothing, and many folks over the weekend just abandoned their cars in the La Jolla Shores parking lots and set off on foot, trudging along the glistening sands in the whirling, glittering sunlight. No fatalities were reported, however.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 09:08 AM

AND it's 'Spring Ahead' Sunday, March 9 in the US! Aaarrrggghhhh.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 08:43 AM

An article in today's (03.03.08) 'Independent' newspaper states that the UK's leading expert on phenology (the study of the timing of natural events), Dr Tim Spark's is probably going to be made redundant.

Dr Spark's, "...has led the way in demonstrating that the plants and animals were already responding to global warming, before people were even aware of the problem." He currently works for the Monks Wood Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, near Huntingdon, which the Government is planning to close down.

Well, we can't have these pesky scientists demonstrating that the endless pursuit of greater and greater profits has consequences, can we?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 04:35 AM

Oh yeah? Well... okay... I posted this on the "16 inches" thread (aprropriately named because that's about what we got) yesterday afternoon....

It's THE SUN!!! was out for about ten minutes.

I just delivered supper to me mum. I didn't take my reading glasses off the bridge of my nose. It wasn't wasn't bad when I began my journey of about twenty steps (she lives next door). At about step ten, the wind gusted and the last three or four steps shoulda been videoed. It was like someone turned out the lights. I was clutching the cloth covered plate of grub against my chest with one hand and had my other hand at full extenson, feeling for the house. Of course, I had my keys in that hand and dropped them when I contacted the house... yup, in the f***in snow!

Hey the sun is... well, it was.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 02:12 AM

There is a drift of snowdrops on my garden embankment and the flowering cherry is starting to blossom. Eat your heart out, gnu.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:41 AM

Ack! We've had another snow/sleet storm, and all these signs of Spring you guys are describing drove me to buy a bunch of daffs at the grocery store t'other day!

Hmm... Janie, we call a different little blue-purple flowering plant Henbit, has roundish leaves with a 'bite' out of the end of each, hence, 'hembit'. ;-) I'm very fond of all the little flowering weeds we have, the Creeping Charlies (or Ground Ivy), the various Chickweeds, Corn Spurge(?), Coltsfoot (always the very first flower), Poor man's Pepper, wild Forget-me-nots, and Eyebright (a favourite). Sure, they invade the gardens, but they aren't hard to yank out, unlike that Great Curse of My Garden, the Spotted Knapweed, which has roots that certainly would reach Hell, if that place was indeed in the centre of the earth!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:33 AM

Today, March 2nd, it was 65 degrees F here in Peru, Illinois. With global warming, it seems to me that March is now the new April.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 11:02 PM

A few violets are starting to bloom. The henbit (what they call heal-all down here, Bee) is thick in all our yards. Yards and banks are also generously blanketed with now with pale blue clouds of common speedwell. It forms a undercover for the daffodils that are blooming everywhere now. I have one bleeding heart that never went dormant last year that has just set flower-buds (it is at least a month early.) Both the crested and the reticulated iris are in full bloom. Daylilies and garden phlox are sprouting and creeping phlox is just getting going with bloom on south facing slopes.

The wild onions are up. wintercress and chickweed beginning to come on pretty strong.

The effects of this prolonged, exceptional drought are very apparent in the sie of even the wild flowers and weeds.   

saw my first brown thrasher this morning. A pair of house finches are building their nest in a beaded hanging candle sconce that hangs from the eave on my front porch. This will be the 4rd year house finches have done this - I wonder if it is the same pair, descendants of the original pair, or what. Last year and this, there was no 'beating around the bush." It is like they check-in curbside and get busy with the nest building in that same sconce.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: pdq
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 09:56 PM

Here in the northern Nevada desert we've been flirting with 60 degrees F for at least a week but haven't quite made it . Tomorrow should be 58 or so they predict. Nice weather to change a radiator (did that yesterday) and trim the fruit trees.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 08:55 PM

Supposed to be 60 tommorrow...64 Tues. - a few daffodils peeking out to see if it's safe.(It isn't..at least one more dip expected)

Wash DC area

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Adrianel
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 06:58 PM

Here in Massachusetts, there are several traditional signs of Spring:
the peepers (small but very noisy frogs) are heard,
motorbikes reappear on the streets,
elderly men who don't have the legs for it are seen in town wearing shorts,
the ground turns to mud, as the top thaws before the lower levels,
a lot of skunks fail to make it across the road,
birds are heard again.
Compared to England, it's late and very short. Not quite the blink and miss it that the Russians have, but is seems that much too soon we're in high (= humid) Summer. On the plus side, the Winter is great. It's cold all right, but dry. None of that damp English (and Belgian - I lived there too) cold that lasts from October to April, sinks into your bones, and makes me at least thorougly miserable.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 12:32 AM

The scary windy rainstorm last night melted all the snow, and the lake appears to be a giant floating icecube, as the shoe ice has all melted in the runoff.

And today was lovely, sunny, and plus seven.

'Course, it'll be cold the rest of the week.

Janie, Common Speedwell is one of the banes of my gardening - grows everywhere, endlessly, along with Knapweed and healall, but I'd love to see those little blue flowers right now.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 12:14 AM

in the yards and sheltered places in the fields and along roadways, common speedwell has joined the henbit in blooming. In the garden, more daffodils and a few brave wood hyacynthes. The pulmunaria has leafed out and in the forests on the hillsides, the bare trees are starting to show the red shadow of bud swell.

We will have some ice storms, maybe some snow, and some cold wintry blasts, but the earth is definitely beginning to awake from winter sleep in the Piedmont of North Carolina.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 10:40 PM

Hey Charley, did someone sabotage the cheap Chavez oil? OR did the tanker leak.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Jim Martin
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 01:36 PM

That's W.Clare, Eire.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Jim Martin
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 01:35 PM

The frogs in my pond spawned 10 days earlier this year (Than last year).

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: theleveller
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 06:29 AM

Yup, looking out of the office window in Shipley, W Yorks and there's freezing fog - oh, and it's starting to snow. Mind you, it does that in July up here.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 04:43 AM

Minus 5 Centigrade coming out to work this morning (Northamptonshire, UK).

My beloved and I damn near went A over T just on the front path.

The de-icer froze as she sprayed it on the front windscreen.

There is a small lake nearby, and it is comical to watch the ducks skidding on the ice !

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 09:20 PM

It was 45 F today in Maine but we spent the whole day trying to clean out the furnace and the oil line from the bad load of oil (with water) that had been delivered last week. You know, oil and water don't mix very well, the furnace burns at a lower temperature creating great clouds of soot, clogging up everything. I bet whoever added the water to the oil got the full price for a load of oil. Got to admire ye olde capitalist system!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 04:47 PM

Today it was 64 and the forest spring peeper toads in the Rock Creek swampy areas are singing their symphonic song so loud we have to talk over them in loud voices.


yikes I think they are 30 days early. So are the woodpeckers and Blue Jays.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 04:18 PM

Hahahaha... that's a good one, Dick!

+8C and rainin like a banshee here in springLIKE southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. (I like to throw in my area every now and then as a matter of courtesey).

You could skate on the ice on the streets if it wasn't for the ruts and the patches of bare pave. Maybe that's why Canucks are pretty good hockey players... we learn to skate around the defense, the ruts, the puddles, the mud and the blood and the beer.

Beer? Go Wings Go.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 03:02 PM

Mantana conversation:
"If summer comes on a weekend this year, can we go on a picnic, Mommy?"

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Fortunato
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 11:33 AM

We're in Silver Spring today and it's 70 degrees. Blue sky, big white clouds.

KEEP IT COMING, WEATHER GODS, WE LIKE IT.

chance

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Feb 08 - 12:19 AM

Bruce-
It's in Digitrad--"Forty Below". Collected by Rika Reubesaat. Fine song for not-so-fine weather.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 11:54 PM

One sign of Spring that I remember from when I lived in Wisconsin...the ice fishing huts sinking in the lake because the fishermen misjudge the thaw and don't get them off fast enough.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 10:34 PM

Smelt fishermen float out the harbour in small bunches as the ice breaks up ( oh, yes, it happens - those boys are deicated).

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 09:10 PM

Blueberry leaves in little clumps.
Daffodils getting plump before blooming.
Pink flowers on the thorny quince.
Cardinals.
Bluebirds.
Singing mockingbird.
Traffic picking up at the seed'n'feed.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Peace
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 08:54 PM

Dick, what is that from? It appeared in the Toronto "Globe and Mail" in 1979 (according to a site I saw).

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 08:22 PM

Well, it's 40 below in the winter
And it's 20 below in the fall
And it gets up to zero in springtime
And we don't get no summer at all....

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 07:16 PM

Oh yes, the peepers! Earliest I've heard them here (Eastern NS) is April 10th.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 07:10 PM

Let's see, signs of Spring --

Sap buckets on the maple trees (early, may have more snow, etc.)
Bare knees on joggers
First yardsale
First snowy egret in the saltmarsh
Robins (of course, but I've seen 'em right after a multi-foot snow storm, too)
Peepers!

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 06:28 PM

Bert! Hehehehe.... that's the clincher!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bert
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 04:18 PM

Spring arrived (officially for me) in Colorado Springs this weekend. I just saw the first yard sale.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Ebbie
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 04:03 PM

In late January to mid February we here in Juneau, Alaska, had a lot of snow, as well as cold weather. The official word is that we are right at average for the year.

At the moment it's drizzling rain into the packed snow berms, with an occasional snow shower. Just enough to make crackling snow for easy walking.

Of course, we don't have any flowers showing yet but I can imagine the earth stirring beneath the snow.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Peace
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 01:40 PM

I lived up north for a few years and many people in that settlement did not have indoor plumbing. They use what were called 'honey pots'. (Twenty gallon drum with a plastic garbage bag as a liner. When ya had to go, ya went. A cover (lid) was put on the pot and every now and then (usually daily) folks would tie up the bag and put it outside to freeze. It froze.) The clement weather--heralding Spring--arrived and the contents of the bags thawed. Some bags had been opened by dogs and others had been run over by snowmobiles. The odors vented to the air. Voila. Yep. Voila . . . .

That and being able to wear a t-shirt outdoors. When it finally warms to 0 degrees after a winter of dark and cold--well, it was just like a day at the beach.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 01:33 PM

Winters I remember from childhood in Cape Breton:

1955: Snowdrifts to the tops of the first floor windows. Mature cherry trees buried over their tops in drifts.

1960: Christmas Eve blizzard. Waiting for Dad to come home and thinking he might not make it. He walked five miles from where he left the milk truck stuck in a drift, passing a dozen homes that would have gladly taken him in on the way (I loved my dad). In June ther was still corn snow in the woods.

1961: Jumping off the garage roof at the Manse into the snowdrifts. Falling through thin ice on the ditch, chest deep in slush - never been so cold in my life.

1963: Snow to our thighs in the open fields. Nearby old gravel pit drifted in fabulous shapes, house sized dunes and chizell edged ledges over the edges. Almost lost my ten year old brother; got stuck upside down in a tunnel he was digging over the pit edge.

1965: Jumping off the tops of spruce trees back of the hill to land in powdery explosions in the snow. Brother building a snow launch ramp for the toboggan so hig it had me scared. When he went off the end of it he didn't touch down until he hit the woods proper. Came staggering out looking more like a snowman than a twelve year old kid.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 12:43 PM

Remember, all you UKers, that us USians are talking degrees Fahrenheit, not Centigrade/Celsius.

So zero is 32 degrees below freezing.

Actually F is more accurate than C -- more clicks between freezing and boiling temperatures. (More nuances to being uncomfortably cold or uncomfortably hot -- right?)

All I know for sure is we've got a LOT of ice and it's been #%@& cold -- and it's warming up and tomorrow is spozed to be around 50-ish F. Which means the driveway will be MUD not ICE and that, believe it or not, is a heck of a lot worse.

Especially since the wood guy didn't come yesterday as promised.

Sigh. Just part of Life's rich pageant...

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: CarolC
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 12:21 PM

I was having some difficulty figuring out what a 'sign of spring' was here in coastal (southeastern) North Carolina. We had crickets and some mosquitos at various times throughout the winter. We had robins at various times throughout as well. I found an anole climbing up our screen door back in January. We've had dandelions for a while now. Just today, though, I think I got the first sign of spring. The first ant of the season inside the house.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: open mike
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 12:19 PM

In the California foothills, we still have patches of snow in the shady places. There are ladybugs here. They hibernate beneath the ground, and in clubs of vegetation. When the sun is warm they come out and fly around. It is a beautiful sight to see them crawling over fenceposts,
bushes and all. Watch your step! Fruit trees are in need of pruning, and so are roses. There was a gang of robins on the meadow yesterday. Or is it a herd? The star magnolia is blooming and the flower quince is pushing out a few bright buds. A humming bird is calling form the highest branch. I thought they were supposed to migrate away from here.
The bats are suppoed to, too. Now is when i should put up a bat house and close any openings in the rafters and eaves by my loft bedroom so they might nest a bit farther away from my "belfry".

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 12:06 PM

Here in Maine we had the snowiest December since 1970. To put that into my perspective, I was born in 1972!

I'm glad we're halfway through February...there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it is a ways away!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 11:12 AM

I friend of mine, who lives in Sweden, says that, where she lives, winter starts a month later, and spring comes a month earlier, compared to when she was a child. Big problems are coming, and undoubledly - sooner than later - they'll hit us very hard !

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Rumncoke
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 10:57 AM

Hello from the south coast of England.

What is this 'snow' of which you speak?

Are there truly outdoor temperatures of less than zero degrees Centigrade? I thought they were simply urban legends from the early days of freezer owning.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 10:00 AM

The sun is shining, the birds are singing. We have a small flock of sandhill cranes down by the river that didn't commute any further south than here. No flowers yet, though. Early sign of Spring: "Art, how about going out and turning over the garden".

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 07:25 AM

Yes, Bee. But, my books say they are not here during the winter.

-23C and -33WC (Windchill) this AM. Spring again tomorrow with +6C and a heavy rain warning issued.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Greg B
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 11:18 PM

In Pennsylvania, we've been feeling smug because every serious
snow storm has diverted around us and clobbered either New England
or the South. Rained like hell. Mud. But cold has been accompanied
by clear skies.

We've had a couple of close run ones--- one in January which dumped
a bunch of icy slush on us. And one last week which turned the
roads into a mass of miniature ball-bearings. (I drove all the
way home in 4WD on ice tires, avoiding populated roads and
kind of enjoyed it, truth to be told, especially after I heard
about colleagues going 4MPH on the highways and I was going 40).

And some sort of ice-storm thing last December--- too far back
to remember.

Haven't got to run the snow-plow on the tractor since 2006-2007.

That's kind of a disappointment, because I like putting on my
'Carharts' and plowing out the road with a 50-year-old machine.

I figger with all this smugness, it has to end soon. Some Alberta
Clipper or Nor'easter is going to come ripping down on us in March
or early April and dump four feet in as many hours.

I've got the blade on the tractor, but haven't put the 85# each
side chains on, and the differential brakes are none too great,
so I'll have my proverbials down.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so supposedly it could happen.

Still, I found myself today planning our first kayak trip of the
season down the Neshaminy and realistically hoping for a 60F day
(we've had several in the last few weeks) to allow it to happen.
I was looking at the boats today, up on the sawhorses and gathering
dust in the shadows of the barn, and feeling that itch in the
pectorals.

If it's a sign of Spring, the crop of pot-holes is bumper this
year. Thank goodness for big 16-inch (ID) 32-inch (OD) tires on
steel rims. BOING! Oh, was that a New Beetle down there?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 11:06 PM

..both

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Riginslinger
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 10:54 PM

I hear all of this talk about early spring, and then turn on the radio and hear about "global warming." At that point I wonder if I should be enjoying the weather, or nervous about he future.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 05:37 PM

Gnu, dunno what birdbook you're using, but Cedar Waxwings have been here - Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, since me Mum was a kidlet, at least.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 04:07 PM

Metch... why, told that you should have pruned earlier, of course. Wouldn't want to disturb any nesting robins or such, eh?

BTW, the Robin was great fun to watch. He was voraciously attacking one particular apple. When the Cedar Waxwings would get close, he was equally viscious with them. Poor little guy. I wish I had some worms to feed him. Of course, pickin worms might be a tad difficult at -13 with over 4 to 6 feet of snow and ice on the lawn.

BTW, BTW, I looked up Cedar Waxwings in four of my bird books and they are not here either. Maybe they read about the global warming and decided to check it out?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 03:22 PM

Kat, the ones described as pics from a Finnish museum are what I do. I actually have seen them around Nova Scotia here and there, thought they looked neat, and learned how to build them at Ross Farm Museum in Nova Scotia. Mine tend to look quite iglooish, likely 'cause I'm not seven feet tall, and don't build them higher than I can easily reach the top of. From the notes in that forum, looks like they are called beehive woodpiles.

I've also seen them built with slabwood (mill ends, great cheap source of firewood and kindling)leaned on end, kind of shingle style.

The other wood pile style with the pole in the middle no doubt works great, but looks labour intensive, whereas the beehive is less work than stacking your wood in conventional rows, since you needn't stack the 'filling', just toss it in loose. I've actually seen one place where the woodpiler had built 'windows' into the sides of his beehive piles nearest the house, big enough to reach in and get quite a lot of wood out without disturbing the integrity of the pile.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 02:25 PM

I'm glad you've had a robin, gnu. You deserve one. No sign of Turdus migratorius here yet, but the varied thrushes have been busy stirring up the leaf litter.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 02:11 PM

Well, well, well. I just took pics of a robin (and Cedar Waxwings) in my mum's apple tree. I imagine that robin must be upset at the travel agent!!!

Mum phoned me all excited and wanted me to rush right over because she wanted me to see that robin with my own eyes. There were reports on the radio that a robin had been seen in town... but nobody believed it.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 02:08 PM

Told what gnu?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 11:04 AM

I don't mind boring. Better than in the -20'sC tonight and tomorrow night and up to +6C Monday. It's a beautiful suuny day here. -16C and -26WC (Wind Chill) right now.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 10:17 AM

zero, zero, zero

boring!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 12:42 AM

Bee, does THIS look like what you mean? I found it and several others over at THIS SPOT. Here're a couple more: clickety...OR, maybe it looks more like THIS ONE?

There are several more pix posted at that site. Pretty neat info, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 09:03 PM

Metch.... have you been told yet today???!!!

Art... ditto my last... ditto, ditto, ditto, darnit!!!! Avec d'Amos dat guy la!!

Bee.... kewl!!!!!

Oh... we had winter, spring, and winter today.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 08:47 PM

Snowdrops are out on this part of the coast of BC. I had a couple of 'mums blooming in January too, but they did turn brown in the last freeze, three of weeks ago. I was planning on doing some pruning this weekend, but I think I'm a bit too late again this year. Should have done it at the beginning of January.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 07:48 PM

Those of you digging firewood out of ice and snow, give a thought next season to piling it in beehive shape or haystack shape piles. I've failed to find a picture of it, so I'll try to describe. You lay a circle of firewood, maybe two metres across, more or less, depending on how much wood you have. Place another layer on top of that, neatly like brickwork. Once you've got a few rows laid that way, fire a bunch of wood in the centre. You can be neat about this or just throw it in. Now build up your circle wall some more, gradually easing the rows in to an igloo or beehive shape. Keep filling the centre until you finish the pile.

I've found, for wood that must be left outdoors, that shape of pile is easiest to deal with. You can put a little tarp on top if you like. When the pile gets snowed in and iced up, it's still fairly easy to break into the centre and get some nice dry wood.

Plus, they look really cool. ;-D

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 02:51 PM

From the weather described by many in this thread I can see why you haven't discovered the garden thread that has already been running for a couple of weeks. Go back to sleep and check back in about six weeks. Or 12, if you live near MMario. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: artbrooks
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 02:38 PM

We've had a couple of fires in the fireplace, just for fun. The cats like them. There is snow on the mountain - which is 3 miles east and 5000 feet (1500 meters) higher, and that is a good place for it. I think I'll go take a good book and a cuppa coffee out in the back yard and sit in the sun. Hey, gnu...there are a lot of places for sale around here. Wood stoves? Snow blowers? You can keep them! I think I'm the only person on the block who owns a snow shovel, and I've used it twice in 3 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 02:23 PM

In December, New Hampshire (US) had more snow than any year since 1876.

Not sure how January lined up, but it still seemed to be snowing about every three days, maybe alternating with snow turning to freezing rain (or freezing rain turning to snow).

Since the new metal addition in my left shoulder has given me the ability to predict the weather (as well as to verify what I can damned well see out the window!), I've been in pain for most of the past two weeks. And then the past couple days have been very cold (on top of the snow, then rain), which hasn't helped at all.

At least yesterday a neighbor came over with his front end loader and excavated some of the firewood for us. And another load comes tomorrow, which will make life a bit easier. Tarps over the woodpile only seem to help temporarily. Tom re-laid the tarp under the wood -- good thing, because there's water underneath that. Wood frozen together can be whacked apart. Wood frozen in the snow can be whacked out. Even wood frozen into the ice usually can be pounded out. But wood frozen into MUD -- it'll be there til June.

I think we might be getting too old to be heating primarily with wood. I think first house project after I can work again and have an income again might be duct work and thermostat for the furnace (which we have been using only as backup) .

At least the sun is out today!

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 10:35 AM

I have 2 lovely woodburners, one in my lounge and one in my dining room and I think I have probably only lit them 2 or 3 times this winter and that was just 'cos I fancied the real flame comforting thing! Our relatives in BC keep telling us about real snow and I love the stuff. There's nothing better than walking across open moors in a foot of snow. Sadly, I've never done it as we don't get real snow here. The odd snowflake a couple of times a year. There again, 4 years ago Bodmin Moor was cut off for 24 hours and people had to be rescued from their cars by helicopter. It just so happened I was in Birmingham at the time with not a cloud in the sky and thought Jon was lying when he said we had a foot of snow! By the time I got home it was nearly all gone.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 10:24 AM

There was a lovely, safe, efficient Scandinavian 'egg' shape stove here when we bought the place, but it was pre-CSA certification, and therefore unacceptable to the insurance company. We bought an Osburn, has a catalytic burner, works very well, and the sides and back are never more than warm - all heat is directed out front and top.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Big Mick
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 10:04 AM

I have, perhaps, one of the great stoves ever! It is a Defiant Encore, made by Vermont Castings. I love this thing, it just puts out the nicest heat ever, is easy on wood. Every couple of years I do have to put in new gaskets and that can be a pain in ass, but other than that it is great. It has a catalytic element in it that really makes it more heat efficient.

Love it, but I want to give it a break. Come on, Springtime.....before I shoot a snowmobile.......the bastards have no respect for others property and solitude....

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 09:37 AM

Rags! It snows in Beautiful BC? How is the deck?

Bee & Maeve... I only have two cord and spring will come eventually. I'll get a new stove. Maybe around June.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 07:49 AM

Listen to Bee, gnu! Heck, Uncle Henry always has some gooduns. We could drive up and meet you halfway to deliver one if poor little NB is low on good stoves. Maine has a plentitude!

Otherwise I'll have to start sending more snow your way, hehehe.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 01:03 AM

Left side of Canada, here.
Is this an early sign of Spring?
rags

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Janie
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 11:16 PM

Biggest snowfall of the year last night - 3/4 inch....Looked kinda pretty crowning the blooms on my earliest daffodils.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bee
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 09:30 PM

Cats, from here that's just...obscene! Cold water in front of a man dyin' in the desert... (Bee throws another damn log on the damn fire...)

GNU!!! Get a new stove! take it with you or sell it when you move. You can get safe wood stoves for not a lot of money, often free if you ask around. I do know that kind of stove, and I've seen the whole thing glowing cherry red and practically dancing on its little legs, just panting for a bit of clothing to brush it, or the cat to pass too close, or the dry old wall behind it to spontaneously combust.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 04:33 PM

On tonights local news there was an article about the annual flower count at nearby Cothele House, a National Trust House and gardens. Today there were 141 different kinds of flowers in bloom, many up to six weeks early and a 76% increase on last years count. Seasons? What seasons?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 04:29 PM

We've already exceeded our annual average snowfall locally, with warnings from "official sources" that we have a couple of months left and more is likely.

During the past couple of months, we've had at least a day or two each week of daytime high temps in the mid 50F (13C) range. Also during the same period, we've had at least a night or two each week of overnight lows close to 20F (-7C) or below. The pattern is predicted to continue.

There are small patches of "green stuff" visible in the lawn from my window, that sprouted during the last warm swing but that now is "green-dead" (frozen) from the pea-sized sleet that was laying on it yesterday.

"Mother nature" appears to be in a distinct "PMS" phase here, with intermittent "cold-shoulders" interspersed with "hot flashes." About the only notable birds have been bunches of unusually large blue-jays and occasional small cardinals, with the more usually numerous starlings, crows, and sparrows almost unseen.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 02:39 PM

I saw on the news the other day that we are already about 20" over the average amount for this time of year...I want the 40° weather from January back!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:32 PM

Bee... I would burn the wood if I could but I shouldn't. Not yet. The old guy I bought this house from had one of them there Norwegian stoves (a three footer). Ya know the kind what when ya try ta move it the legs fall off? And there ain't no damper? And the door don't shut near tight? Yeah, that's the one.

Fact is, if the wind picks up, the flue pipe can easy glow red even when I got a fan on it! So, it goes through rock maple like (probably) your stove would go through bog spruce, unless the temp and wind are even. I would get a decent one, but I may have to move house soon, so.... my woodpile is just an emergency backup until March moon (21st or so?).

Hehehe... yup. March 21. That will be a good Friday.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 11:58 AM

Icicles are best attacked with swords. Forunately, we have a few around the house. And a fencing foil is the perfect tool to unclog a vacuum cleaner hose.

By the way, Tom and I cut our wedding cake (almost 26 years ago) with a 16th century main gauche.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:49 AM

We wouldn't wish to deprive you . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: topical tom
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:48 AM

Spring? No sign of it here in Quebec though, wonder of wonders, the sun is shining today!It's -7 C (19 F).We have loads of snow but the male and female cardinals visit every day.You folks in the UK and points south, why don't you come and enjoy non-Spring here with the rest of us poor schmucks?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: GUEST,Seiri Omaar
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:40 AM

Ottawa. Cold. -18 today.
At least there's sunshine.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: The PA
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:33 AM

Worcestershire UK. Yep looking back maybe one or two falls of light snow, gone within 48 hours, occasional heavy rain, and a few really cold (-2) nights. All in all not too bad for 'winter'. Things can only get better - maybe?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:28 AM

Well, of course Nature had to prove I spoke too soon. (Or maybe it is the robins sang too soon?!) It is gloomy and overcast here with 100% chance of snow mixed with rain. That's okay, though, the ground is mostly bare and I know the green things need the moisture. Maybe instead of the Bananan Belt, I'll start calling it "little England"...we seem to have more in common weather-wise this time of year. We'd never measure up in moisture, though.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:01 AM

The ten cm.of snow we got a few days ago disappeared overnight in the rain. Our dirt road's a sheet of ice with water on top, the lake's got about 12cm. of water on top of ice. All the ATV and snowmobile lads are gloomy. S'posed to drop to -18 Saturday night. At least with the snow gone I can see the pitiful state of my gardens.

Aw, gnu - start burnin' that wood! We use around four cord most winters, and have been lucky most years getting half or more of it cheap or free.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: jacqui.c
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 08:20 AM

Same here Mick - nothing but white for what seems like months now. I know the spring flowers are there and waiting for a chance to bloom, but that won't be for a while yet I reckon.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Big Mick
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 07:43 AM

All youse layabouts need to come here to Michigan....you will quickly quit all yer moanin and bitchin.......I am sooooooooooooo ready for spring.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 07:41 AM

In Lancaster (UK) we had daffodils, crocus, snowdrops, primroses and a couple of others (I'm not a gardener, just know the brown end goes in the earth) out on 26th January. Also had a flock of long-tailed tits come past that day.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 07:33 AM

I think it's now daylight, but can't be certain. TL is out with the snowblower, trying to keep our snow banking in place. The window is covered with wet, sticky snow.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Anne Lister
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 07:30 AM

Here on a hill (almost a mountain) in South Wales my daffs are in bud, the croci (crocussessess?) are flowering, there are buds on the trees and the grass is looking very sprightly and making my husband mutter darkly about the mower. We've had quite a few frosty mornings recently and some glorious warm sunny days but I gather we're in for some colder weather again now.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: John J
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:55 AM

Don't mention tits to LTS, she has a thing about them.

JJ

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:29 AM

Here in Northamptonshire (UK) daffodils are in flower bud, crocussusses (croci ?) are in full bloom and having seven bells knocked out of them by marauding birds ; snowdrops are on the second flowering.

Primulas are in flower, as are cultivated primmy-roses.

Goosegrass is growing like the clappers, and, getting off the bus this morning, I saw a red dead-nettle in flower. Forsythia is in bloom, too.

Chaffinch, Robin, Mizzle thrush and Blackbird are singing ; Jinny Wren is twittering; Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Great Tit have on their courting gear (mating plumage).

A neighbour from where we used to live tells me the Natterjack ponds in the slacks are stirring.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:23 AM

The blossom on the trees round here is beautiful.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 05:31 AM

Of course it's spring in Maine. We keep sending our storms on downeast to gnu. I know it's spring because Truelove is outside raking snow and icicles off the roof at 4:30 am rather than at daylight. I thought it was thunder, or reindeer, or sumpin fun.

Potted forcing bulbs in the cellar are busy making roots in the dark. Snwdrops will be ready for daylight this week. More snow is on the way.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 04:39 AM

It's spring again here in Southeatern New Brunswick, Canada. For the sixth time. Bee... yesterday, the Maineiacs sent us 8" of snow first, before the freezing rain and rain and wind. Winter is expected to return by noon today.

I haven't burnt a stick of wood yet this year. I only have two cords because I couldn't get any new wood in due to illness, so I am keeping it in emergency reserve until at least mid-March. But, the old wood stove will roar then because the power rates went up 13% last fall.

Bad luck or good luck.... I realized on Dec 1 that I was gonna HAVE to go under the knife and wouldn't be able to do the snow thing, so I called a guy with a tractor mounted snowblower at 8AM on Dec 2. He was driving past my house at that moment. Five minutes later, I wrote a cheque. At 5PM it snowed. And it's been snowing ever since, except for the half dozen times we had freezing rain, ice pellets and rain. Oh, and, of course, when it was close to -30C. What a MESS!! On some back streets, small cars are scraping the undercarriage between the ice ruts.

Spring me arse!

PS... Art... piss off. Ah, that goes for you, too, Amos. Even if you don't post here, I know what you're thinking.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: John J
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 04:25 AM

Here in Manchester, England, we seem to have barely had a winter. A few nights of frost, one night of very light snow and some lovely crystal-clear bright days. Other than that we've had a fair bit of wet - but not the floods that some parts of the country have suffered.

The crocus and snowdrops are brightening up the garden and the grass is growing well - the lawnmower will need to brought out of hibernation in the next week or so. The birdies are tweeting well - their singing always makes me feel good.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 03:38 AM

Here in Cornwall we had primroses out on Christmas day. I have snowdrops, crocus and daffodils out a plenty, the roadsides are dotted with primroses and yesterday I found my first dandelion. My frogspawn in my pond is late this year, it is usually there by now. As for birds, the long tailed tits are back and the birds are busy nest building. Now is the time to put out the cat hair and the fluff from the tumble drier! We have had no snow at all but a couple of light frosts in the last few days.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:58 AM

Snowing again...looks like 2" and still coming down hard.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Barry Finn
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:36 AM

I heard those same fucking birds the other das. Saw them this morning & shot them, one & all, pleasant little bastards won't wake me up on another cold & bitter morning, that's fur sure.

Over $800 to fill up the oil drum in the basement & over another $300 for the propane tanks. Gonna start burning the structure next before it becomes worthless, along with the trees that are coming donw in the yard

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:21 AM

Here in north Kent (UK) little coloured bits by roadsides as what I think are going to be crocusses put their heads up.

I've already had the lawnmower out.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 09:27 PM

Charley's gone and sent his nasty weather to Nova Scotia. We're having the blinding rainstorm with 80km gusts right now.

I promised the cats Spring would come, but they don't believe me at all.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 09:11 PM

Tomorrow's always turning towards the morning.
Honest Tom, this will end and Mud Season will arrive.
LOL
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: artbrooks
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 08:13 PM

Spring? Is that a separate season? When did Autumn end?

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 08:09 PM

Have you tried a sledgehammer, Tom? Just hit that sumbitch woodpile a few whacks!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 08:05 PM

No sign of Spring here in Maine. We just got a load of more snow, followed by rain, and then freezing. The only bright moment for me was the residents of the four apartments in this building have finally figured out how to get up, get dressed, go out and clean off their cars, warm them up, so that when the snow plow comes we can get all the cars out of the driveway and get it cleaned up proper. The parking lot's clean as a whistle now, a regular skating rink from one end to the other. Guess I'll have to sprinkle sand on it in the morning or someone will break their neck.

Charley Noble, somewhere in deep freezing Maine

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: curmudgeon
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 07:54 PM

Thanks for the warm thoughts, kat. But you don't have an ocean.

P,S, - there's now a flood watch in effect.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 07:50 PM

{{{{{{{Tom & Linn}}}}}} (extra warm hugs for you both...maybe you should come to the Banana Belt of Colorado!?)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: curmudgeon
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 07:44 PM

Spring? HUMBUG !

It's raining at 34 F.

I got up this morning to another foot of sodden snow, followed by six hours of freezing rain.

I came home from work early yesterday to wrest what chunks of firewood I could from snow piles and ice. I put the last two logs in the stove at 2:00; now just embers.

Mayhap, when and if the sun comes up, there will be the tops of some more wood exposed and not frozen in. Next wood delivery on Saturday.

Around here, Spring is a long weekend in late April.

Now is the winter of our discontent...

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:56 PM

"In the Spring, young men's thoughts turn to....what she has been thinking about all Winter."

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: bobad
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:55 PM

We here (eastern Ontario) are approaching record snowfall territory and if the forecasts hold up we will be there soon. That being said I did notice that the chickadees are beginning to sing their spring songs.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Emma B
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:51 PM

The days have been so mild here recently - up in the mid teens centigrade - although the nights have been clear and cold with twinkling turqoise stars and a new moon.

The snowdrops have been forming white drifts for weeks and the daffodils are already in blossom.

The first early flowering blossom is on the trees and no doubt young men's thoughts everywhere are on the turn :)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:46 PM

After a few weeks of temperatures that hovered around zero degrees F it has turned warm this week, with highs in the mid30s.

And this morning I watched a Stellers Jay! What's he doing up here in Juneau, Alaska in February? If he doesn't freeze to death, he's likely to starve.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:40 PM

and we in DC/Maryland had one intense ice storm last night. I'm ready for them Robins!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:32 PM

Here...nada. Zero. Zilch. Pfui.

Subject: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemi
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 06:26 PM

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I heard, then saw, Robin Redbreasts in my back yard, today! A little earlier than in years past. I can just *hear* the primroses, tulips, irises, and daffodils wriggling awake under the soil. I love Spring!!