Sunday, March 17, 2024

Two More Days of Winter


Are you seeing more rabbits lately? It's March, it's almost spring, and the rabbits are calling attention to themselves. They breed in March around here, which makes them more visible than usual as they engage in courtship that involves running, hopping, leaping, racing, chasing, dancing, and other attention-getting activities.

More rabbit sightings. Longer days. Warmer temperatures. Blooming flowers. The change of seasons will become official with the equinox on Tuesday, March 19. We have just two more days of winter. Click to enlarge.

For the occasion, an excerpt from Atlanta in Calydon by Algernon Charles Swinburne. 

"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 remember'd is grief forgotten,

And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,

And in green underwood and cover,

Blossom by blossom the spring begins." 

 


 

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Spring Forward

 

Daylight savings time started last night while we slept. There is still time to set your clock ahead one hour. I personnaly am with those who want to move this event to 4:00 p.m. on the second FRIDAY of March, not 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday. Above, March sunlight casts the shadows of a fence and empty cabanas on the beach at Cape May, New Jersey. 

Note that today the sun will set at 7:02 in Philadelphia. Click to enlarge the sun-drenched white and gold crocuses.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Dragons and Lions

 

I promised pictures from last Sunday's Lunar New Year Parade in NYC. Here they are! This dancing dragon looks like he's about to catch the globe that represents the "Pearl of Wisdom." He did not, just continued to follow it on down the parade route through the narrow streets of New York City Chinatown.

Blue dragon!

Pink dragon!

There were also many fancy lions. They travel in lion dance teams with drummers and cymbal players. Lots of noise and fierce dance steps from the lions.

Green lion!

Click to enlarge.

This one isn't really blurry, it's shaking it's feathers, ur... its fur.

Another action shot. The lions are restless creatures.

There was a lot more to see, like this big-headed guy.

Senator Chuck Schumer makes it to the parade every year.

Lots of colorful dancers, floats, marching groups, horses, music, and fancy cars. It is a great parade!

And the location, among all of the restaurants of Chinatown, means that the parade snacks are fabulous and easy to find. There is nothing better than a big plate of hot fried dumplings on a cold NY afternoon.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Happy Year of the Dragon!


Lunar new year celebrations are about to come to an end with the first full moon of the year, tonight, February 24, 2024. I usually write a blog on Sunday, but I'm posting this early, so I can spend Sunday at the parade in New York City. There will be dragons, like this one from last year. I love this parade! Click to enlarge.

Gotta love the lions, too. I'll be back next week with parade highlights.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Sights of the Season

 

It snowed! But that did not keep the witch hazel from blooming. Click to enlarge.

Then it snowed again.

The daffodils carried on, pushing toward spring.

Crocuses are built to withstand it.

Holly actually looks prettier with a shawl of snow and ice.

The snow was beautiful. It's practically all gone.


Yesterday these snowdrops were under a few inches of snow.


Sunday, February 11, 2024

Dekay's Brown Snake Sighting


I saw this little snake in my yard today. It's the first snake of the 2024 for me. It was in danger of getting stepped on where it was, so I gave it a ride in my hand. Initially, I thought it was a garter snake. A reader pointed out my mistake. Thanks!

To a less-traveled spot with leaves to blend into and slide under. Click to enlarge.           Cute face!

Sunday, February 4, 2024

The Midpoint of Winter

 

We just passed the midpoint of winter, February 1, which is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Yay! If we were ancient Celts we would have just celebrated the holiday of Imbolc.

And if we were celebrating Imbolc, we might have checked around to see if any snakes had come out of their burrows to predict the duration of winter weather in accordance with the legend. 

Wait -- we still do that on Groundhog Day, but with groundhogs instead of snakes, right? Turns out that they are equally good at meteorological prognostication. The 2024 groundhog did not see it's shadow. That foretells a smooth path to an early spring. The National Weather Service is predicting the same thing. Let the gardening begin! 

Also, February 2 was Candlemas Day for Christians. The holiday occurs 40 days after Christmas and according to some marks the end of the Christmas season. One of the nice things about Candlemas is that there is a high probability of being able to eat pancakes or tamales.

These winter-blooming snowdrop flowers are also known as Candlemas flowers. They are winter-hardy early bloomers that will push up through snow and frozen ground to appear in time for Candlemas. Mine are always on time. Click to enlarge.

Also note that there are crocuses blooming in my yard right now. Local sunset will be at 5:23 today and 5:24 tomorrow.

So, even though it may have seemed like an uneventful week, it was not.