I went outside to play with my dog for a while. Of course I got sucked into walking around the gardens to see what was up. I cleaned the filters on the pond pump, and noted the need to clean some pine branches out from behind there. Filed that thought for future reference.
After I threw the ball a few times, I thought I’d peek around the corner in my rose/day lily beds. And this is what I found:
I found this to be so astonishing, I ran to get my camera in order to document it for posterity. I decided to investigate further. The hellebore (Lenten Rose) was doing this:
Not quite so astonishing, since they are supposed to bloom in the winter. However, this motivated me to move to the front of the house. There I found lots of tulip leaves emerging, also the leaves of the colchicums. And a few daffodils have been motivated by the wonderful warm weather as well:
So, now we are off to listen to blues up at the Filling Station. Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society (to which we belong) is having a fund raiser “Battle of the Bands” this afternoon. Having proved the efficacy of black lace and satin to our satisfaction, we are just in the mood to sit around having a few beers and listening to music.
In this way we will be able to forget for a while the fear lurking in our hearts: global warming and the upcoming climate change.
Just how fast IS it going to happen?
the havens 
We are experiencing weirdly mild temperatures in Germany too, and all the trees are starting to bud as if it were spring. It is extremely unnerving.
I love it when things start bursting forth.
“The Spring is sprung
The grass has rizz
I wonder where the Birdie is.
The boid is on the wing
But that’s absoid
I thought the wing was on the boid!
Nice flowers, but I assume it’s far too early…
This morning when I went to work it was like a morning in late March/early April. A few degrees above zero, somewhat cloudy and VERY SLIPPERY!!! The ground is covered with a thin layer of irregular ice which i covered by water.
I had to take a detour this morning, the slope I usually walk down was more suitable for skates.
Archie, I love it when spring sprangs too, but I could have it wait just a tad. As Dragonqueen says, it is far too early. My fruit trees are thinking about budding out, and if they do, they will surely be blasted by frost and then I will have NO fruit at all. So I am happy that it has chosen to be a chilly day today.
While the flowers are pretty, it is a little scary that things are blooming so early, isn’t it. I agree … we could have waited a bit longer.
–L
Goodness! Pretty, but worrying.
The weatherman promised us tonight that it would get cold by the weekend. I am glad to hear it — I have been out talking to my apple trees and so far they have believed me when I tell them it isn’t time yet.
I live in Australia and it’s the middle of summer. Our summers are usually in the high 30 degree celcius (35 to 42 is not unusual in my area), but this summer has been cool and wet (around 23 to 25). I love it!
So it’s happening everywhere.
Many experts are aware that global warming could suddenly and without warning accelerate to a level higher than even most of the doomsayers would expect. There is some evidence that this acceleration might be starting to happen. What causes this acceleration is often refered to as “positive feedback”. What that means is that stressing non-linear systems has effects, then those effects further stress the sysem to produce even more effects. This is a self-reinforcing phenomenon seen in avalanges, etc.
I’ve been feeling very concerned about that exact thing, without knowing the name for it. It “feels” like things are changing a lot more quickly than the models I have read are predicting.
The crocuses are just an example. The “first date of bloom” for the crocuses on this place was around the beginning of March for the first few years we lived here. And it had been like that at my folks place (25 miles away) for twenty years. My dad would be very excited if there were a few of the earliest variety of crocuses blooming by his birthday (Feb 22). There was one partcularly sheltered and warm spot where this boon was occasionally delivered to him.
All of a sudden, about 6 years ago, the crocuses all over were blooming by his birthday. The next year, a week before. Year before last, by Valentine’s day. Last year, the end of January. This year, the first week of January?
I’ll tell you, it freaks me out.
Healingmagichands,
I was wondering if I could use your photo of the crocuses on my website (http://www.homestead.com/Winter20062007/) (even though they are not in the northeast since it’s still a rare occurence in the midwest) featuring the the warmth that persisted from December into mid January. I would give proper credit and a link to your website if you have one. If it is ok, please also state what town in Missouri the crocuses were blooming in. Please email me at the link on my website if it’s ok and it doesn’t show here. Thank you in advance.