A bit brutal, maybe?

February has been brutal. We are 17 days into the month and the average temp has been 4.8ºf.

Let’s round it up and just say 5ºf (-15ºc). Last year’s average for Feb was 29ºf (-2ºc). Our low this year (so far) has been -18ºf (-28ºc). Eleven days left of Feb this year. If we’re going to come anywhere close to last year’s average temps, Feb’s got some heavy lifting to do. Considering our local forecast is calling for a couple more days below the 0ºf mark, I don’t think we’re going to get there.

The drop started right out of the gate. Feb 1 had a high of 42ºf (6ºc); Feb 2 had a high of 29ºf (-2ºc); Feb 3 had a high of 0º (-18ºc). On Feb 11 and 12, we didn’t break 0ºf.

This is hard on the Labrador. We end up having five or six very short walks to get his exercise and whatnot, but his foot pads get very sensitive around the 0º mark. We tried several different booties, but he really doesn’t like them and won’t go very far.

So. We’ll work to get through the next few days and spend a lot of time hoping that March of this year matches March of 2024- an average of 35ºf (2ºc) with a high of 65ºf (18ºc).

My records show that I saw my first Butterfly of the 2024 on March 16 (a California Tortoiseshell on the NE slopes of Mount Helena) and first flower on March 22 (a rockcress along the Helena Ridge trail). Still don’t know for certain what the species of rockcress was, but I know right to find it.

Signs of life and color on the hill could be as close as 30 days away. So, there’s hope.

‘Course March was also the onset of my Rheumatoid Arthritis, but unless I have an anniversary flare-up, that’s feeling pretty decently controlled at the moment.

So. Onward, I say!