What happened to winter?! January 31, 2012
Posted by ourfriendben in gardening, homesteading, pets.Tags: early spring, spring in January, unseasonable weather
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Our indoor-outdoor thermometer is telling our friend Ben that it is 62 degrees F. outside at 4:19 in the afternoon on January 31. For me and Silence Dogood, this is tee-shirt weather. And no, we don’t live on the Gulf Coast or, say, Saudi Arabia. We live in the precise middle of nowhere, PA, where a typical January 31st would see us buried in snow in our bitterly cold little cottage, shivering miserably and praying for an early spring.
Is this global warming at work? Or is it a little trick of Mother Nature, plotting to slam us with nonstop snow, ice, and record cold from February through April to revenge herself on us for humanity’s greed and lack of respect for natural resources and the web of life in general?
If it’s early spring, at least it’s not silent spring. Geese, crows, and our regular assortment of backyard birds have made sure of that. Hating cold as we do, looking at the still-green grass, walking on unfrozen ground, Silence and I are hoping against hope that this pseudo-spring will turn into the real thing.
If it does, it will be the first time we’ve ever experienced weather like this. But, walking blissfully in our tee-shirts through the backyard with our black German shepherd Shiloh enthusiastically lifting her snout to smell the fresh air, we have to confess, we hope it won’t be the last.
I have no idea what happened to winter. I’m down in Virginia, and I spent the afternoon today digging a new garden bed. It’s been so consistently warm that the soil is actually workable on January 31! Crazy! I’m thinking about taking a risk and putting in some early peas…
Hi Sharon! We don’t blame you. We’re tempted to put in a few early crops ourselves, though we know that up here it’s just cabin fever speaking. Go for it, we say! Even if you don’t get peas this planting, it will give you something to look forward to!
We had that last year, but halfway through February. It was so warm we walked to the ice cream shop in the dark, with no coats! Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way, and winter went back to its cold self. So enjoy it while it lasts!
We plan to, Jennie! After all, every day without snow and ice is another day closer to spring!