"February is the border between winter and spring."
Terri Guillemets (1973- )

Severe Weather Watch: Heavy Snow, Wintry Mix (2, 3, 4, 5); wintry mix, high winds (11, 12, 13, 14); heavy snow (15, 16); more wintry mix (21, 22, 23)

Full Moon: in 2023, February’s Full Moon will occur on February 5t. Where tribes saw the deepest snow, it was called Snow Moon, while other tribes called it Wolf Moon because of all of the howling heard during the month, which happens to be the middle of their breeding season! And because there is such an extreme scarcity of game to hunt everywhere during this month, it was also aptly referred to as Hunger Moon.

Special Notes: "Punxsutawney Phil" makes his annual and much-anticipated appearance on Thursday, February 2nd when he issues his ‘prediction’ of the coming of Spring! If it is a sunny day and this little marmota monax sees his shadow, he will retreat post haste underground, to remain there for another 6 weeks of Winter! If it is cloudy and he doesn’t get scared by his own shadow, Spring will come early in 2023. Also, The Christian Festival of Lights, or Candlemas, will be celebrated on the 2nd as well. As part of a long tradition, many churches would display many more candles on this day during their daily services. Not only did it make the service a special one, but it was also believed that the additional light would provide protection from illness and plague in the coming year. Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday, the start of Mardi Gras) is February 21st and Ash Wednesday is February 22nd, marking the beginning of Lent.

Holidays: Valentine’s Day, February 14th, falls on Tuesday in 2023. Show that special someone just how special they are and how much you appreciate them. The birthdays of Presidents Abraham Lincoln (Saturday, February 12th) and George Washington (Tuesday, the 22nd) are collectively celebrated on President’s Day, which falls on Monday, February 20th, providing us with an extended holiday weekend. Enjoy!

The Garden: With some good news from our favorite groundhog, we can start thinking about things to do in an early. It's time to turn the compost pile (if it’s not too frozen!). Mid-to late-February is the time to fertilize shrubs and evergreens. Use an acid-type Rhododendron fertilizer to feed evergreens, conifers, broad leaf evergreens, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Camellias. Use an all-purpose fertilizer to feed Roses and other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use granular type fertilizers, be sure to water it in thoroughly. The vegetable garden should get its first good tilling of the year, if weather and wetness permits.

The Farm: Best for planting root crops (9, 10, 11, 16, 17); best for weeding and stirring the soil (1, 27, 28); best for planting above-ground crops (2, 3); best for harvesting all crops (14, 15); best days to set hens and incubators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27, 28); slaughter and butcher meat (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26); transplant (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26); harvest and store grains (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19); wean animals (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21).

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living

"Make the most of each day’s opportunities. Those who wait for their ship to come in often miss the boat".