Snowdrops are blooming. It’s a relief to finally see the first snowdrops (Galanthus) in bloom. In 2012 they bloomed in February and were done by mid-March. This year they are just getting started. I really should have kept track of the varieties I planted, but I didn’t so I can’t know which kinds are early …
I am pleased to announce that today is officially VS Day (Victory over Snow). The white stuff seems to be melting irreversibly now, and while spring is not yet fully established, winter’s day is done. On Wednesday I had to drive down to Springfield, 200 miles south of Chicago, and I won’t be back until …
I had begun to wonder if we had entered a new ice age, or perhaps that winter was really the one season of the year. The other seasons can only be enjoyed in the afterlife by the truly righteous. But in the last few days, winter has loosened its grip, and there are hints of …
It seemed as if winter was finally leaving us. The weather turned mild, and the snow was melting at a steady pace. Then a colleague at work sent me this. Yes, apparently we are expecting up to 16″ of snow by tomorrow night. It’s still well above freezing as I write this, so I’m hoping …
It’s March 1st. March 1st, and 22 degrees F (or -6C). Also, we are expecting another three to five inches of snow. As this year’s winter crawls towards spring, it puts me in mind of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. Not that I was there, but I’ve read about it. Of course, I’m not worried about …
And now for something completely different: on Saturday it snowed. It was just an inch or two of light, fluffy snow. Then on Sunday we had an odd meteorological phenomenon – I forget what it’s called – in which bright light seemed to emanate from an object high up in the sky. Now I remember …
After careful analysis, I have concluded that Chicago’s recent weather has been caused by the White Witch. You remember the White Witch, who froze the land of Narnia into a 100 year winter in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Can you offer a more plausible explanation for the otherworldly 65+ inches …
Well, that was fast. If I remember correctly, in the last several posts I’ve written about our mild autumn, how the seasons seem to be lingering, etc. But that was then, and this is now. I had today off due to the holiday. It had been raining gently pretty much all day, which is a …
Well, maybe not the very first. But it was the first that was really noticeable around here. The nights have been abnormally mild so far this autumn, so there hasn’t been much in the way of frosty morns. Judy took these pictures with her phone before leaving for work Friday morning. This week we finally …
It’s been a warm fall. The days have been a bit warmer than normal. More important, the nights have not been nearly as cold, generally about 10 to 20 degrees (F) warmer than average. Weather is only one factor affecting fall color, I believe the shortening days are a bigger one. But I’ve got to …
gardeninacity 