(INTO THE WOODS AND BEYOND!)
I feel like our fall is almost a month behind in preparing the way for winter. Leaves are still on the trees, the grass is a gorgeous green and I even saw a bee yesterday!
I’m running behind too. I work on my book everyday and as a result not much blogging gets done. My problems with my server persist on my laptop and posting on my phone is slower, but I want to post more often.
I hope you’ve all stayed healthy and are staying safe. Take care friends!
It took a long time, but we are finally experiencing a winter that feels like winter…snow, freezing cold.
I told this groundhog that it was Monday and it just stared at me. To a groundhog it’s the season that matters.
It asked me what month it was and I told it July, I thought it was just messing with me. After doing a little research I found out that for these cuties the month IS important because there is a deadline of sorts for them. Winter is coming.
They spend every day stuffing themselves in preparation for winter…they will hibernate underground and so they need to build lots of body fat to live on.
We have Groundhog day here, a tradition that is built on the premise that, every year on the second of February if a groundhog sees it’s shadow, it means six more weeks of winter.
The truth of the matter is, the males come out of hibernation in February to locate females that are still in hibernation. Breeding season will start in March, so, having located the objects of their affection, the males go back into hibernation for a few more weeks.
Who wants to get out of bed before they have to?
(One more interesting fact…THEY’RE A MEMBER OF THE SQUIRREL FAMILY!)
The last snowfall we had didn’t hang around too long. The sunshine chased the snow away in short order. Now it seems that spring may actually be here and I am MORE than ready for warm temps and sunny skies.
We’re not through with the gray skies and rainy days of spring, but today was beautiful and it was enough to give me hope that the weather is truly changing.
Everyone stay safe and take care…we’re all in this together.
This Junco didn’t seem to mind having a snowflake resting under it’s eye. I love these little birds and I only get to see them in the fall and winter.
A WINDOW INTO THE WOODS 