Last Sunday was Groundhog Day, and the famous Punxsutawney Phil gave us his forecast—six more weeks of winter. Although Phil resides here in Pennsylvania, he is not a Lancaster County groundhog. In the fifteen years I’ve lived here, I had heard of Octoraro Orphie but this year I learned there were two others—Mount Joy Minnie and Cocalico Cal of Ephrata. Now Orphie and Minnie agreed with Phil, while Cocalico Cal said winter would soon be over and we could look forward to Spring.
Sigh—this week we’ve had snow, ice, and more snow from a clipper system has begun falling here late today. Personally, I feel sorry for these four furry creatures. Each one is roused from a deep winter sleep and expected to give a weather forecast!
Our four cats had a brief reprieve when the temperatures warmed a bit, and they were given some “porch time”. Ginger waits to come in from the porch.
Ginger Waits to Come In
But with the return to below freezing temps, snow and ice, cabin fever returned. Maggie seemed to say—“is it Spring yet?”
Is it Spring yet?
And Spike posed next to our bank of temperature controls and weather station—was he thinking about turning up the heat?
Can I turn up the heat?
Amy appeared under Lee’s desk, on her way to find a warm lap.
I want a warm lap.
Outside, fallen tree branches were everywhere, and our long-needle pines took quite a hit.
Hard Hit Pines
Across the Road, By the Creek
When I looked out our bedroom window yesterday, I saw several very small birds land in a small patch of snow-free grass, busily pecking to find food. The stark contrast of brown feathers, winter-worn grass and the frozen snow brought to mind one of my nature-inspired favorites on our web site—the Black Onyx, Tiger-eye and Green Aventurine Silver Jewelry Set.
Black Onyx, Tiger-eye and Green Aventurine Silver jewelry Set
In addition to the little brown birds, a male cardinal flew into a nearby tree, his red breast catching my eye, reminding me of one of our featured earrings for Valentine’s Day.
Fire Polished Metal pale Gold and Ruby Red Earrings
Yes—Valentine’s Day is Friday, February 14th. Many communities will be having Go Red for Women events—reminding all women to take care of their hearts—a timely reminder for all of us. As the snow falls in Lancaster County, here’s a parting photo –
Let’s keep warm!
Stay warm, be safe, and thanks for visiting with us! We welcome your comments.