Early Spring

[MountainNut]

STUCK in Groundhog Day!

Funny preview vid:
http://www.zimbio.com/watch/GTHk3QrcReU/Groundhog+Day/Bill+Murray

[Sierra Lady]

http://earthsky.org/earth/groundhog-day ... awney-phil

According to groundhog.org, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 100 out of 116 times. Back in the late 1800s, there was a lull in activity regarding the groundhog’s schedule where there was no report. By 1900, the tradition officially began and we’ve been wondering since then if this lovely creature will see his shadow. Last year, Punxsutawney Phil did a horrible job “forecasting” our pattern when he did see his shadow, thus giving us “six more weeks of winter.” In reality, that never occurred as the contiguous United States had its fourth warmest winter on record. In fact, February 2012 provided the contiguous U.S. widespread warmer-than-average temperatures with twenty-seven states in the Northern Plains, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast having winter temperatures ranked among their ten warmest. The official website of this friendly groundhog states that Punxsutawney Phil has predictions that are accurate “100% of the time, of course!” However, I guess we will ignore last year’s failure and pretend it never happened!

[Washoe Zephyr]

a wannabe groundhog?



Pika says "it's a Marmot"

[2NAKLLR]

OK, isn't a groundhog a woodchuck?
And isn't a marmot a rockchuck?

So, there should be some marmot out there better suited for predicting CA Spring than P Phil.

[Sierra Lady]

^ Heh...there is...it's Ollie!!!

From the 2/1/13 Dweeb report:

I guess “Ollie” the west coast Marmot will most definetly [spelling error Howard's ] see his shadow Saturday at Sunrise…so bring on the 6 more weeks of Winter! Actually the Dweebs feel that last 1/3 of Winter, IE March could be quite the wet month if the MJO takes up residence in Phase 1 of the Rimm chart the end of the month.

[Photoho]

ALLAN !!!!!
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[SurfnSnowboard]

ALLAN !!!!!

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[windyscotty]

You know, if I ran out of food in the backcountry, I just might want to...

I would let the dog take care of the dirty work. I hear them Pika and Marmots are darn tasty in a pinch. Makes a nice little hat, too.

It's a good thing they are slow.

[windyscotty]

What do you think now?

I do not know what to think, because I am seeing trees bloom out down here in Bishop much earlier than previous years.

That means that the fruit trees could be susceptible to getting nipped in the bud.

If it is just the warmer climate, then there shouldn't be any problem.

I have seen a freeze come late in Spring before that killed the leaves on the trees, and they had to grow back.

As far as conditions go it is hot and dry, really dry. No wildflowers and nothing growing out in the desert. That could all change with just one hard rain. If not, it will be normal for the "land of little rain."

Not normal, however, for the Bishop mountains. That means drought and the ground water pumps will have to make up the difference this summer. It is a scary prospect.

[Washoe Zephyr]

I have spotted the first blooming Dogwood on the Western slope of the Sierra( 3,000 ft)
On this side they always say " it isn't spring till there is snow on the Dogwoods"

so here ya go.........(one of my facilities along a raw water canal)


Doggy

[SurfnSnowboard]

I love seeing the Dogwoods in bloom - looks like a beautiful spot!

[Sierra Lady]

So pretty!

[Spirit Tree]

WZ - Sehr schon!
Looks like it smells good there as well.....
Ready to jump in the truck and take off.

[Washoe Zephyr]

Danke mein schatz. Ich liebe "Hundwald" (made up german word for Dogwoods).