Has spring sprung?

[Phone]

All,

 

Don't forget, I've promised you snow on the Ides of March.

 

Phone

[garylee]

 

It's Turned Out Nice Again

[captain cojones]

Interesting, Captain - thanks for the link.

 

As a keen amateur astronomer I can see why from the astronomical point of view the equinox may have been considered to be the start of spring. This is when the midday sun crosses the celestial equator. It doesn't so back into the southern hemisphere until the autumn equinox in September.

 

But this is dividing the year into just two parts, effectively summer and winter. Yet our seasons are divided into four!

 

We're also not talking about astronomy here but climate (and certainly not the nonsense that astrology is as mentioned in the article!). So as far as I'm concerned it's more nearly correct to call the start of spring 1st March. Note that I said nearly correct, as whatever date is chosen is purely arbitrary, especially as climate change has mucked up the dates.

 

There's another interesting article in Wikipedia explaining that different countries have different starting days for the seasons. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer.

 

Edit note: here's more from the Wikipaedia entry for winter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter. For spring: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(season). For autumn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn.

Cheers Steve.

 

The seasons are definitily changing in "real terms" if you know what i mean.

 

The effects on crops can be devastating when a late frost damages blossom for example. In yesterdays paper here was the news that up to 30% of this almond crop will be lost in some areas as the frosts of this week have killed the tiny fruit that formed earlier than they should the first week of January.

A "normal" time should be the first week of Feb.

[garylee]

Cheers Steve.

 

The seasons are definitily changing in "real terms" if you know what i mean.

 

The effects on crops can be devastating when a late frost damages blossom for example. In yesterdays paper here was the news that up to 30% of this almond crop will be lost in some areas as the frosts of this week have killed the tiny fruit that formed earlier than they should the first week of January.

A "normal" time should be the first week of Feb.

My crop of apples, pears and plums was very poor last year. Not so much because of frost but more the cold reduced the number of insects which effected pollination.

[captain cojones]

Il send you some of our bees....

[garylee]

They wouldn't like the cold, even our hardier bees stayed at home.

[Old geezer]

Il send you some of our bees....

 

Just don't send any of them there Spansh Flies eh?

[captain cojones]

[Andy_1984]

Yup its here or just around the corner. There is that feeling in the air and ive also seen a few ants yesterday and a bumble bee last week !

 

Still bloody cold in the shade though.

[Now there's a right un.]

I noticed on Monday that the Great Crested Newts in my garden pond have begun to make an appearance, it was great to see them, alongwith a few Toads.

 

Before anyone shouts, these Newts were rescued from a pond which was being filled in and so were saved from an uncertain future.