Who is your local predictor of spring?

Here in Massachusetts we have gone against tradition (don't we always) and selected a female. Ms.G is her name. Read about her here. There is also a very flattering photo. :) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/31/groundhog_emerges_from_males_shadows/

Thats Puxatawneys Aunt!

not big on copy cats - as long as she stays at drumlin farm i guess it ok. don't need any of her kind here!

Funny you MA folks should be talking about this! My personal sign of spring is Truck Day. Go Sox!!!

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2009/01/16_days_until_t.html

Yaaaaa! Go Sox! Can't wait until I can watch a game again.

But my personal sign of spring is when I can see the ground in my garden. ;)

truck day is Feb. 6th

Ngam, you must be prescient!

Tomorrow, Jan. 31, Essex CT, a town just north of us, will be celebrating its annual "Essex Ed" groundhog parade and end-of-winter prediction. That is, assuming he will be able to dig out from under the foot of snow piled up around here.

Here's last year's paraders...

I'm celebrating Gopher Day this year. I've decided groundhogs are just to timid for this very important event.

My personal sign of spring is when I'm the only one that can get up my roadway with my four wheel drive. We have a horrible muddy two weeks here when the snow melts.

Timid! Tell that to our resident groundhog. He's been here about 15 years now. The first year when it was just a small groundhog, my daughter went down to the area he lives in, and he was eating her favorite iris. She chased it, and it ran away from her, and then turned and ran right towards her, like it was going to attack. It has done that ever since. It's a huge groundhog now, and it's pretty scary when it comes after us.

I still have to think about this one...where I used to live it used to be that the robins would show up but here they were around all winter.

We have wintering Robins too they are nearer the lake shore properties and apple orchards,but the real migraters show up here around the 9th of March.

Crabgrass - thanks for the truck reminder! I passed it on to a friend that has moved to Hawaii!

My harbinger of Spring isn't the groundhog, or the truck. It's when I see all the primrose pots in the grocery stores in January. Gives me hope!

Funny ours arent here yet. We do have tulips though.
Ive been in so long I'll have to check to see whats up for Valentines day.

Primrose -- you're welcome. It's the least I can do for someone who lives in the town I lived in before I moved to CT. :-) We might even know each other, or at least have mutual friends!

Forsythia - once that's blooming I know we are into spring.

Haven't seen any Groundhogs around here for close to two wears now. Ever since I Deported Woody " Old Female who lived under our porch for several years" to many babies they all got deported too.

Never saw her on Groundhog day either so had no indicator as to spring just have to wait and see.

John

This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 11:28 AM

No hibernators yet. Warm weather might bring a few out.
Late Feb. March roadkill, then you know theyre moovin.

Have to post again.
I heard Cardinals mateing song this morning.
Tooooooooowitt tooooooooowit toooooooowit
Alwas brings a smile in the quiet cold.

Our near guarantee that spring is close is when the Redwing Blackbirds return along with the snowbirds returning home from sunny Florida - March 19th.

Ohhh Yessss I forgot about the RW's. They are in the ditches and meadows early. I can hear them in my mind.
The days are warm with cold wind and the cattails are just sprouting.
How good it is to dream.

I luv the RWs. I don't know if they beat the robins back though. Seems to me the robins are earlier here. I will check this year.

Now I know...motorcycles!!!! Whenever I hear the roar of motorcycles past our house I know it getting warmer. They were out in force yesterday.

For nature I guess it would be the first bulbs popping up.

Robins are here the first week of March. I think RW's come later.

hahahahah. I read "Yessss I forgot about the RW's. They are in the ditches and meadows early"

as:

"
Yessss I forgot about the RV's. They are in the ditches and meadows early"

. . . too funny.

I have been hearing the spring songs of some of the birds for about a week or so here. I guess they do not pay attention to all the snow on the ground when they start having that lovin' feeling. The #1 all time signal that spring has actually sprung for me is the peepers, then it's official. http://www.naturesound.com/frogs/pages/peeper.html Check out the sound, that will make you feel like spring.
Those stinking ground hogs are cowards, afraid of a shadow, I think we should ignore them and think positive. Still hoping for an early spring no matter what those overfed furballs say.

HEY Just saw an add for the Boat Show Feb17th.
Now thats a sure sign spring is on its way.

or the boats are having a reunion.

Or the industry is hurting.

The WNY Boat Show is this weekend, I think .... and the ads were saying people are VERY interested in boats this year ......


Who are they trying to kid! :)

Any sucker they see coming...........

yup yup

Bill you work in the auto industry. Do you get inside information on how to repair a car? I can - say you need to replace a water pump, I can get step by step with pictures. I am pretty sure not everyone can do this. Unless you work for a dealer

i sell camera systems to auto makers - i no nothing about fixing cars other going to my younger brother who is a mechanic at a dealer (excuse me a technician!) and have him fix my car. if it is a ford he knows how to do it. he will not tell anyone how to do it or show them - taking $$ out of his pocket.

I use a mechanic because the thought of 'dahlianut' fixing the engine and then driving at 100mph is a little scarey even for me.

Smart Brother!

Everyone keep me in mind. I can get step by step instuctions with pictures. My husband is a mechanic on older cars (used to have his license for Fords). With technology now he has to resort on newer models.

I can get information on all cars :-)

Is that the speed limit in Canada? 100mph? hehe

Tee hee. I have a little convertible that I zip around in. It a 2 speeder: 1) 100mph 2) Stop. My DH won't ride with me anymore.

WNYwillieB