COLUMN: Ramblings: Welcome February

Dateline, January 23, 2026: A huge winter storm approaches. The weather forecasters do not agree on the finer points of the storm. It may be 12 inches of snow, or the storm may only dump six inches of snow on southern Indiana. One thing they do agree on - the temperature will dive below zero. They also agree we should get prepared for the storm. They do agree our part of Indiana will escape the ice storm. The poem, "A Winter Piece" by William Cullen Bryant explains why some appreciate the beauty of an ice storm:

Come when the rains
Have glazed the snow and clothed the trees with ice,
While the slant sun of February pours
Into the bowers a flood of light.

My mind goes to the many birds that depend on the bird feeders that I fill daily. The small one in front gets refilled twice a day at least. That won't be too much of a challenge to fill. I may need snowshoes to make it to the one that hangs in the back yard.

The enjoyment I receive from watching the variety of birds that dine here is worth every dollar I spend on bird seeds. Small red finches, many varieties of sparrows, black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, and gold finches share my offerings with blue jays. The birds share their dining table with a pair of squirrels. These squirrels, like most, are fantastic acrobats and empty the feeders quickly. They are experts at stealing the suet hangers. I know spring is coming soon, the male gold finches are already beginning to get their mating colors.

The larger feeder that hangs from the old pine tree in the backyard attracts more blue jays, crows, and an occasional starling or dove. They are cautious about getting their lunch there, because a young red-tailed hawk likes to sun itself on the limb of the old pine tree that fell last summer. When the cold winds blow across the field that stretches over to the river, he fluffs up his feathers to retain some warmth. The sun shines on his pale breast as he scans the empty field for a mouse or? What a joy it is to enjoy nature surrounded by human activity. The wild creatures have learned to accept and adjust to the invaders of their homes.

February marks the end of winter here. Time to plan the gardens we will plant come warm weather. I am reading the Old Farmer's Almanac my sister gave me for Christmas. Many memories from childhood flood my brain as I turn the pages. My Mother always had one of these little yellow books. She "planted by the stars and moon." It has changed since I last held one. The front third of the book is mostly ads printed on slick paper. The almanac portion is still on newsprint paper. I found a recipe for a hot toddy buried in the pages. I giggled a bit as I read it. Our mother kept us healthy in the winter with hot toddies. The first sniffle was a sign we needed one. The recipe in the current book advised the reader to substitute lemon juice for the bourbon when making one for a child. Now I support that advice. The hot toddies we drank contained Kentucky bourbon along with ginger and cinnamon.

'til next time,

Annie