Here we are, Groundhog Day 2019 and Puxsutawney Phil, Celebrity resident of Puxsuatawney Pennsylvania, graced the crowds with his presence and his much anticipated prediction for the upcoming spring. In his usual fashion he had to be coaxed from his slumber in his comfy stump to tell all of America “A beautiful spring it shall be.”

I’ve never looked into how the traditon of Groundhog day started maybe that is something I will do in the future but with Phil being correct only 39% of the time according to livescience.com don’t break out your warm weather gear quite yet. That of course does not mean there will be six more weeks of winter either. I hope for an early spring and to see the sweetness of the first Snowdrops peering up through the soil, then the Crocus’s, Tulips, Daffodils and Lily’s. Not until the bright yellow blooms of the Forsythia bushes do I believe we are in the clear and still then, New England can throw you a surprise snowstorm.

I think everyone has old wives tales that have been passed down through generations regarding weather predictions. From a rodent in a stump and an early spring or six more weeks of winter to acorn, goldenrod and ragweed growth. Oh and lest we forget the Teddy Bear Caterpillar. Just finding one of those and sharing it with someone who has never even seen one never mind know about their ability to predict the winter harshness is fabulous and brings me back to my childhood.

So as we all anxiously sit and wait for spring to arrive think of seed starting and new growing methods to try. Of course all the homestead projects you have on your list too. Write out those plans. Pencil the schedule in (just in case you need to erase) and enjoy what’s left of the slowness that still is winter.

xo