The Nature of Things

He won't. At least not where I live. It is a gray and overcast day and any groundhog poking his head out this morning would not have been startled by his shadow. It's all academic anyway because it seems like spring has already begun here, with daily temperatures in the 70s and 80s and new growth popping up everywhere. Of course, the possibility of another frost still exists for the next few weeks, but it really feels like spring has sprung. Carolina jessamine, ready to burst into bloom any day now. 

( Cross-posted from Gardening With Nature. ) Photo courtesy of Huffington Post Punxsutawney Phil has spoken . His prediction is that spring is coming soon. No six more weeks of winter ahead for us! The furry critter came out of his burrow this morning and didn't see his shadow, so we can get on with planning our spring gardens. Phil lives in Pennsylvania, of course, and I'm not sure how much validity his prediction has for Southeast Texas. If he had emerged from his burrow in my backyard this morning, he would definitely have seen a shadow. My world is full of bright sunshine. Maybe he would have blinked once and scurried back inside. On the other hand, it is 70 degrees out there. Perhaps he would have just curled up for a nap in the sun. It seems that all the signs of Nature, not just sleepy groundhogs but also birds, butterflies, flowers, insects and frogs, are pointing toward an early spring. Actually, in my part of the world, we have not had much of a winter, really only th...