#WeatherGeek Update: How Does Your #Garden Grow? #Allergies #SavetheBees

Well, it's officially Spring but we're already experiencing early Summer temperatures, which makes sense as we experienced Spring-like temperatures nearly all Winter. It's predicted to be mid- to upper 70s all week, with at least one day hitting 80 degrees. And as it's almost April, its namesake showers are making preparatory appearances in anticipation, I guess. It has also periodically been quite windy, as cold fronts swoop down and hit the balmy air. Needless to say, between the regular sprinkles (and we do need the rain as we are still in a drought overall) and the over warm days, everything is sprouting like crazy and allergen levels are through the roof as my sinuses will attest.

On the bright side, this makes for a wonderful early gardening season --- and a good patch for the bees.

First Day of #Spring: #VernalEquinox International #DayofHappiness + @DairyQueen #FreeConeDay

At 6:28a EDT this morning, Spring will officially arrive --- though it has seemingly been visiting all Winter as temperatures were consistently 10-20 degrees above normal --- with the Vernal Equinox. While I do not look forward to the allergen explosion, I do appreciate mild weather (and gardening season). So pup and I will get out for a leisurely sojourn this afternoon, after work.

Today is also the United Nations designated International Day of Happiness. Considering it's been shown that Winter can bring on the blues and blahs, it's only appropriate that the arrival of Spring should bring happiness. Expect smiles.

And finally, today is also DQ Free Cone Day! Dairy Queen celebrates its partnership with the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals by giving away a free small soft-serve vanilla cone in exchange for a donation to CMN Hospitals. Valid at participating (non-mall) Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill locations. Limit 1 small cone per customer. Since launching the promotion in 1984, Dairy Queen has raised more than $110 million for CMN Hospitals. If you're near a DQ, pop in, donate to support a good cause and get a free ice cream. Ice cream equals happiness in my book.

All around, looks to be a top notch day. Carpe diem!

A Dwarf #Magnolia Verdant: #Gardening #GreenThumb #Southerners #Nostalgia #Gifts #WeatherGeek #BFF

I have a Dwarf Magnolia tree in my yard. It came to me as a dream almost. Several years ago, a friend and neighbor who loves gardening like I do, gifted me a distressed Dwarf Magnolia sapling that he'd inherited. (He actually got two, potted in too small containers and having been neglected on a patio for some time, both seen better days.) As he and I have had numerous conversations about our shared love of fragrant Magnolia blossoms, he said that he immediately thought of me when the two strays landed on his doorstep. He laughingly delivered it in a wheelbarrow. And so I set out to rescue the one, while he worked on saving the other. Being inveterate green thumbs and fellow small town Southerners transplanted to the metro Atlanta area, we often share seeds & plants --- and their associated bounty. This ritual is part of how we bonded as neighbors and became friends.

On the day my neighbor turned up with this temporarily homeless little tree, he pulled it from the battered pot, dug a hole and planted it in my yard. It's yours now! I grinned in response. Over the years, I've tended to it near religiously: first tying it upright with a lance, pruning it, watering it and talking to it good naturedly. I dubbed the pitiful sapling "Ms. Magnolia Blossom 1999" or "Mags" for short --- monikers that just popped into my head. And our girl Mags has thrived! Turning from brown and withered to green and redolent. It took some time, nearly a full year to undo the withering damage alone. After she started to stretch out and unfurl, Mags began producing lovely fragrant puffy white blossoms in season. This process took roughly two years of nursing and coaxing, but 'twas well worth all the effort. Because now, at roughly the five-year mark, I get all the benefits of having a thriving Magnolia tree in my yard --- in a (comparatively) compact space.

In case you're unaware or curious, a fully grown Magnolia tree can easily top 30 feet in height and take up a full yard between its meandering roots and wide ranging branches, but the dwarf varieties generally only grow about 8-15 feet tall and can be kept "straight and narrow" through careful pruning and shaping. The sad sapling that I was graciously gifted was about 3 feet tall at the time, but is now a roughly 8.5 foot tall tree, having grown nearly a foot a year.

I had to take special care of her with the extreme drought the area has been experiencing over the last year or so. I took to hand watering Mags to insure she continued to thrive in a suddenly fragile ecosystem. She's doing well! However, I keep a vigilant eye on her, because the current yo-yo Winter to Spring weather pattern has many trees and plants blooming too early. Yet, the temperature still dips down to freezing or thereabouts as it did yesterday morning. (The rainstorms last weekend provided plenty of moisture, which was followed by a few days of strong sunlight before this returned shot of Winter. Having been thus bolstered, I think she'll do OK.) On Friday afternoon, in spite of the blustery conditions due to the incoming cold front, Mags looked resplendent in the bright sun, unbowed and verdant. Quite the beauty queen.

I plan to get out this afternoon and check on her, again, just to shoot the breeze. I can't wait for actual Spring! The smell of Magnolia blossoms instantly transports me to a better place, rather like those Calgon commercials of old. The Magnolia tree is quintessentially Southern, of course, and intrinsically tied to the warm and sunny memories of my childhood. (When you have a hardscrabble youth, you're willing to work to keep the bright spots close in adulthood. It's called perspective.) This little tree has proven a most wonderful gift 🎁. I cannot thank my gardening buddy BFF enough for providing carriage for my trips to bountiful.

#SuperBowl Sunday #RiseUp @AtlantaFalcons #SB51 #Party Rooting for the Home Team #WeatherGeek #Smunday

Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday! I will spend a good part of the day setting up for my Super Bowl Party this evening. We're homegaiting. There's still a lot to do. I prepped most of the food yesterday and put it in the fridge overnight, but will cook, bake, and grill today. It's all good. I've got all sorts of snacks and a full bar of beverages, plus I'm also making an actual dinner as the game isn't scheduled to start until 6:30p and probably won't end until 11:00p or later.

Hoping the Atlanta Falcons cap off a great season by winning Super Bowl LI, but looking for a good game, win or lose. Between the good company, the entertainment, the anticipated new commercials and the Atlanta vs New England showdown, it should be a fun evening at any rate. We may not wind the party down until dawn. Good thing tomorrow is Smunday ---in honor of which I'm taking the day off. (I plan to get some yard work done as it's supposed to reach the upper 60s again. Yes, after two days of seasonal or Winter weather, Spring weather returns.)

Has Spring Sprung? #GroundhogDay Reflections on a #HellWeek

This past week was perhaps the most horrific set of days I can recall in such a short span. It started off bad and kept getting worse. I distinctly remember thinking, 'When does it end?" Yesterday afternoon, I finally got a bit of good news. One little tidbit to say that the world hasn't imploded yet. It was enough to calm the nerves. Just.

I need a change of venue, which got me to thinking, "When the various groundhogs advance different predictions which one's word do you take?" It seems the northern rat predicted more Winter while our southern one said early Spring. Being a native Southerner, I'm partial. Still, after the lackluster Winter we've had so far, I'll stick with my wish for an early Spring. I could do with a bit of sunshine and warmth.

The #Weather Gods Are Haters. #WeatherGeek #Tornadoes #Thunderstorms

Boy howdy was it one heck of a weekend! In case you haven't heard, the Southeastern United States got pummeled on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (There were a reported 15 tornadoes in the state of Georgia alone on Saturday. Fifteen!) Seems we're experiencing our normal Spring weather instabilities in January. We saw thunderstorms, wind, rain and flooding in the metro Atlanta area.

This, came right on the heels of a record nine straight days of 70+ degrees temperatures. We needed the rain, because of the ongoing drought, but the rest was overkill, and we didn't get the worse of it. Places to the south and east of us were really put through the ringer, on repeat, with the Georgia coast getting kicked in the gonads for good some measure. (My thoughts are with all those around the globe affected by the crazy storms and natural disasters of late; it's been a beast of a weather year already.)

Personally, I'm still out of sorts. Pup hates storms and as we had several roll through during the overnight hours, this meant little to no sleep for several nights in a row. (She comes to find me whenever a storm gets going and we sit curled up, riding it through together.) During lulls we'd venture out to canvas the neighborhood, checking on neighbors and inspecting for damages. We were pretty lucky around here (sadly, others were not).

There will be a Wind Advisory in effect until 7:00p, but today is predicted to be drier eventually --- after a few morning showers. (Mere rain doesn't usually rile pup, but the last three days of high water storms proved stressful for her, thus, when it suddenly started pouring down around 2:30a, pup hopped up and came down the hall to get me and we've been up ever since.) Hopefully, I'll be able to crank things up a notch once she heads back to bed --- the rain sounds as if its finally tapering off --- and get stuff done. At the moment, however, all I want to do is crawl back in bed and do crosswords until the sun rises.

No such luck for me though. No rest for the wicked er, weary. Guess, I'll make coffee... On the bright side, the Atlanta Falcons are headed to Super Bowl LI --- a legitimate excuse to throw a party --- and I made Overnight Oats for breakfast. Small steps, small steps....

Two Days of #Winter. Next Week a Return to #Spring. #WeatherGeek #MtnDew

North Georgia spent the last five or six days well above average temperatures. ('Twas 70+ degrees and muggy on Christmas.) Yesterday, a cold front moved through bringing rain and a tornado to the greater metro Atlanta area, and in its wake much colder, drier air has been rushing in. It was blustery all day yesterday and today more of the same is expected.

This morning and the next will get down into the thirties (below freezing), plus this morning has the addition of wind chill making it feel like the twenties. More rain is expected New Year's Eve --- about a 30% chance --- but it should be well above freezing by the time it arrives (no icing expected, thank goodness). Then there's about an 80% chance of rain through the day on New Year's, with more rain chances still next week.

However, temperatures are expected to climb once again close to 70 degrees, and this in the first week of January. This seems to be our new weather pattern: above average temperatures for several days, followed by a cold front and windy conditions that drop temperatures to a seasonal average or slightly below for a couple days, then it warms back up (and the bugs return).

As I've said before, a weather yo-yo, which wreaks havoc on my allergies. I realize that I moan about my allergies a goodly amount, but "quality of life" issues are important. My nasal passages are shot. Hopefully, it'll settle one way or the other soon. Give me Winter or give me Spring, but not this in between. For this is purgatory. (The Winter of our discontent?)

GLISTENING DEW DROPS?: Yesterday, Kroger had a digital coupon for a Free Mtn Dew 12-pack, any variety, available for a short time. Supplies (or the number of impressions/loads) were exhausted quickly, but luckily I was able to snag one in time. (Mtn Dew is someone's favorite soda.) It may be cold enough to make ice cubes for the soda outdoors this morning, but the gift of pop brings cheer to one man. Thank you, Kroger.

A Rainy Night in Georgia. Our Wild Weather Keeps on Trucking #WeatherGeek

Christmas Eve was in the sixties. Christmas Day started off in the fifties and topped out in the seventies. Yesterday, started in the fifties also, but pretty much stayed there as clouds, mist, drizzle and fog rolled in... which made the day simultaneously damp and clammy. Today, it's supposed to dry out a bit and return to almost seventy degrees.

My container garden, which utilizes seasonal plants that are supposed to go dormant over the Winter, is still blooming. The weather is like a yo-yo or a pogo stick, bouncing up and down, screwing with Nature's Clock. Air quality is consistently poor. My allergies are killing me, of course (literally and figuratively). I like the great outdoors, it loves me to death. Every time my system gets close to stabilizing, the weather pattern shifts once more.

So much for Winter. It's like I'm suffering through Spring in December. Hooray for January! Perhaps, next month will be more typical. But I'm not gonna hold my breath (it wouldn't be wise, I'm having respiratory problems as is). I might need a vacation from my vacation. I declare Tuesday a day of rest and binge watching. Borrowed Sleepy Hollow, Season One from my sister. Where's the popcorn? I need a Coke.

What's Your Name? Call Me Procrastinator #LastMinuteShopping #Movies #WeatherGeek

Dinner + Movie Night was a roaring success! I'm still in recovery mode having only gone to bed a few hours ago. Lack of sleep isn't my problem, however, because my natural sleep cycle is only four hours. No, most often my day simply does not have enough time available within it to accomplish everything I need to get done.

Today is an exception. I haven't planned much beyond doing some last minute shopping --- Egads! I may actually need to venture out to a store. Oh, the horror --- and watching a few flicks (need to use some expiring Redbox Playpass Credits).

Due to various relatives heading this way for the holidays, things will likely be crazy for the next 10 days. We'll have to play it by ear. (I'm trying to keep to a posting schedule... Good luck with that, says a little voice.)

By the way, our odd weather continues. It's supposed to get up to 70 degrees on Christmas day. December? Where are you? I don't mind the mild Winter, except for the preponderance of bugs still giddily flying around. An amateur entomologist, I like bugs generally --- when they aren't dive-bombing into my eye, which has happened quite a lot of late. Perhaps, their sense of direction is being skewed by the weather, for these insect varieties aren't used to being active this late into the year. (To bastardize Yaz: How Winter Kills... or not.)

Well, I should get my gear together. It'll be time to brave the wilderness soon. Crowds. Ick. Wish I had a magic wand to wave and make them disappear.

On the bright side, I picked up French fries and Ranch Dressing (this week's Free Friday Download) at my local Kroger store to munch on while watching movies later. Not certain what I should rent. I'm interested in seeing Florence Foster Jenkins, but may lean toward something Sci-Fi or Fantasy based to unwind, depending on how the day has gone. Guess I'll take a chance on whatever is in the Redbox kiosk.

Winter Is (Not) Coming

I could have told you, prior to the release of any scientific data bolstering the point, that this past Winter was one of our warmest on record (in modernity). And pray tell, how would I know this other than the fact that I barely needed a coat all season?

Well, first there was my unceasing allergies — it was so mild naughty things kept blooming right on through the Winter. "Winter? We don't need no stinking Winter," said the Flora.

And second, the backyard chickens kept by two different neighbors never ceased laying eggs. You heard me right. This is significant.

Normally, most chickens "in the wild" — as in, those not in an artificial daylight environment commercial operation — will cease laying eggs with the coming of Winter as the days grow shorter and it stays cold and dark for longer periods. However, the seasonal changes were so slight this time around that these chickens never received the necessary cues to wind their biological clocks down. They just kept on ticking all year! Poor chickens!

We know humans have issues galore when our circadian rhythms are knocked askew, so what happens when we reach the point where the chickens don't come home to roost?

It's this week's "Sign of the Apocalypse".

NOTICE: This post is a reblog from (the now defunct) castlemodern.tumblr.com. It was originally published 24-Mar-2016. Post may have been edited or updated from its original text.

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Author's Note: The above post is the reason I moved CM to a platform with full commenting features. I admit the post is a bit tongue-in-cheek --- I had recently read Sports Illustrated's Sign of the Apocalypse blurb, after all --- but really... the post garnered several "notes": one is someone pointing out there are chicken breeds which lay eggs year round so it wasn't due to climate change and another is someone reposting it to his tumblr with the addition of this little tidbit: "Chickens' egg-laying cycles respond to light cues, not temperature cues, as far as I know. People who want their..." 

I wanted to respond but had no desire to keep reblogging the post merely to make a comment. In my opinion, there wasn't an easy way to start a back-and-forth discussion on tumblr. I needed to rethink things and eventually decided to move my website to a different platform so that I would be able to engage readers, discuss, and even argue points in-line.

My comment is this: 

Climate Change is an important topic to me; however, even though global warming has been observed to interfere with the normal lifecycles (and breeding cycles) of various bird populations, I honestly didn't believe that one or two cases of our neighborhood's chickens laying eggs year-round meant the world would implode tomorrow. The post is mostly an interesting observation that all the neighborhood chickens, though different breeds, were oddly in sync and not be having normally. (One neighbor has kept chickens for over 20 years and has never before recalled her chickens not stopping laying eggs in Winter.) More data would need to be collected to determine causation, obviously. 

My second point is a direct response to the comment above regarding light cues vs temperature cues being the key to chickens' egg-laying cycles. Have we forgotten as much basic science as this? Light and (heat) temperature are often nearly interchangeable. Light has an inherent temperature gradient. Light cues include temperature cues by default. (Oversimplification, yes, but apparently it's needed.) 

If you think chickens do not respond to temperature changes or that said response can affect their ability to lay eggs.... urgh! Be very afraid, World, for we are actually doomed.