Tricking Winter | Chickens in the Road

Feb
22

Since I’m over February, and yet oddly enough, there is still snow in the forecast, I could see it was time for some action. Serious action. Messing-with-winter’s-head action. Like, winter-will-need-some-therapeutic-medication-after-this action.

So I turned my calendar over to March. EVEN THOUGH IT’S STILL FEBRUARY.

I know. You are both disturbed and awed by my secret diabolical nature and the cruelty with which I discombobulate winter thusly.

I’m also a calendar freak. I have one in almost every room in my house. This one is put out by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and it helps me learn stuff like that this is an Eastern Bluebird.
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(I’m from the ‘burbs. Cut me some slack.)

This is the Chickens in the Road calendar. (Still want one? It’s only March, I mean, February! It’s not too late! Go here.)

Of course, I always have a chicken calendar somewhere.

This is one of my favorite calendars for this year. My publisher, Harlequin, sent it to me. It’s a vintage cover calendar celebrating 60 years of Harlequin books.

There are some freakin’ scary covers in the calendar. This one is from 1952. Pardon My Body, by Dale Bogard. Harlequin’s early years were a bit different from what comes to mind when we think of Harlequin romance today.

I went into each room, turned over these and other calendars, one by one, hearing winter’s whimper with each slap of the page onto the wall, and then, with winter surely reeling in psychological shock, off I trod to the garden to see what my mad plan had wrought.

First I spied little leaves of spinach clawing their way from the cold earth. This spinach had gone to seed last fall and now it pokes its head from the ground, as eager for spring as I am!

And here is garlic shooting forth! I forecast another vampire-free year at Stringtown Rising Farm! (Garlic planted last spring.)

Horseradish, too!! (Horseradish planted last September.)

Poor winter. It never knew what hit it.

P.S. It’s snowing. How is that possible?

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25 Responses
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2-22
1:49
am

When you want to thin out your garlic. Cooking with green garlic is a wondeus thing. Sort of like green onions only garlicky. Have fun. ~A

Alison - Reply
2-22
3:53
am

Garlic is good, your calenders and blog too… have a nice sunday

belgin - Reply
2-22
4:48
am

It’s looking like spring in W VA!! I never flipped my calendar to February, maybe that’s why we’re still getting all this snow here, it thinks it’s still January!!….maybe you’ve got something there…….it’s all in the calendar!! I’ll go put up April now!

Did you harvest garlic last fall from planting in the spring?

CindyP - Reply
- 2-22
  7:04
  am
  
  No, we didn’t harvest any garlic. In fact, I thought it was dead! So I’m really glad to see it.
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
- 2-22
  7:53
  am
  
  LOL! THERE ya go….skip right to April!
  
  Nancy K. - Reply
2-22
5:10
am

ITs SO time for spring…

Heidi - Reply
2-22
5:16
am

Oh my! I’m going to try that too! We still have about 2′ of snow and getting another 6″ or so today.

Go away, Winter, please go away!
My chickens want to come out and play.

Runningtrails - Reply
2-22
5:53
am

Now that is a good idea…we need some rain way down this way…too dry! I love my calenders also…except i cut off the dates and still use the photos…some are just way too good to pitch. (if you hold on to them long enough the dates even line back up!)

lady under the oaks - Reply
2-22
7:08
am

I have the same chicken calendar, and I think I will take your example and have it become March. We got more snow today in Asheville, and I am done, done,done. The trees are beginning to show the nubs of buds.

Kathie - Reply
2-22
7:20
am

Suzanne, I love your little sproutlings. (is that a word?)
Anyhoo, my daughter and I were looking through our garden catalogs yesterday and dreaming of gardens.Ever hear of BLACK tomatoes?We drooled on the pages. I’m ready to feel some warm dirt between my toes while tending to the tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, corn, squash,lettuce & onions that Mother Earth is going to provide for me when I get the seeds in the ground.
Maybe if we unite and flip our calendar pages to June, we can really fool Mother Nature.
Oh, did I really say that???HELP!!!
P.S. I thought of Clover first thing this morning.Did Cowboy bring her breakfast in bed?Inquiring minds want to know.

shirley - Reply
2-22
7:51
am

Oh, what a wonderful idea!
I’ve already changed all my passwords to “March” as well.
And I’m sitting in front of my “Happy Light” ~ gotta watch out so I don’t get too much sun…

Happy Spring!!

Nancy K. - Reply
2-22
8:17
am

Here in Malden WV we got up to a couple of inches of snow & it is still peppering it down. The weather was so nice yesterday we drove up to St Marys, Sisterville, down to West Union then down 1-79 to home. When my husband told me around midnight that the truck was covered, I thought he was crazy (really just crazier than usual). No wonder the deer was out all over the place, they wanted to get their bellies full before this snow.. I know that we had to see at least 3-400 deers yesterday. They must be keener than what the weatherpeople are because our plans was to work on another shed for the alpacas….but I guess we will just sit here and watch it snow.

mim - Reply
2-22
8:23
am

Sounds like a plan anyway. Yesterday it was raining and snowing with a little ice mixed in all at the same time. I’m so ready for spring.

Linda - Reply
2-22
9:13
am

First, I gotta tell you, Mr. Cotswald does look dashing with his dreadlocks! I’m sure he’s miffed that you grounded him.

I’m the freak here – still hoping for some late season snow! It’s been snow-cold in Atlanta the last couple of days, but no doggone precipitation. Can you send me some of yours??? Along with whatever you’re cooking today? BTW, that wolf icon freaks me out – don’t let him loose on your critters!!!

Nancy in Atlanta - Reply
2-22
9:17
am

Here in central IL we were waiting for a big snow storm yesterday. We did get high winds(we always do)but they blew away what little snow we got. It moved more north which many times it does also. But it was very cold with the winds so it was a bit discouraging that winter is still strong and healthy. I even mentioned to my daughter yesterdayI have had it with Feb. and want it to be March. I am just praying that when one of our new little goats is due in March it will be warmer than this. Blessings. Nice calendars, we have one free one from Rural King on the kitchen wall but that is about it.

Abiga/karen - Reply
2-22
9:21
am

I’m impressed that you can tell from the early shoots what is coming up!!

I am going to try to grow some veggies this year. Maybe some herbs as well.

trish - Reply
2-22
12:12
pm

2004 the days were the same as now I have a cat calendar that I can’t bear to throw out – a separate page for every day. I also won a Chippendale calendar lol. I’m afraid to flip it forward, I’m too easily confused

catslady - Reply
2-22
12:13
pm

hmmmm was I thinking of bears

catslady - Reply
2-22
12:15
pm

Ooh, how I wish it were as simple as turning a few calendar pages up here! We’re still firmly blanketed with several feet of frozen snow … if there’s greens growing, it won’t be showing for another couple of months.

Lola-Dawn - Reply
2-22
1:45
pm

I couldn’t skip February, today is Dad’s birthday! It is snowing here too.

Susan - Reply
2-22
2:12
pm

I’ve always heard it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature—–she retaliates.

Estella - Reply
2-22
4:36
pm

I am very weird about flipping my calendars early. Even if I’m about to go to bed on the last night of the month, I CANNOT change the calendar until it’s actually the first. It’s back luck, or something… I don’t know. So this post kinda freaks me out. ha.

Melanie - Reply
2-22
5:29
pm

Hey…maybe if we ALL turn our calendars…

Christine - Reply
2-23
8:42
am

I am SO over winter. Over it, I tell you.

Kacey - Reply
10-25
1:14
pm

I’d love to have this gravatar. I love Eastern Bluebirds. Anything you want to know about them, ask me.
Leslie
(Grammahony/BluebirdLover 2)

Leslie - Reply