Winter Notes: These Cross-Quarter Days

February 3: Cross-quarter days  We’ve gotten past about the longest January I think I can remember. The cold, the snow, the dreadful events impossible for any decent person to turn away from. The resultant grief. Offering support to those caught in this vortex of cruelty and violence visited on so many by the government is necessary—and somehow not enough. And yet. Just the other day I noticed that it was still light at 5 pm. Surprise! The dark post-solstice January pause is over; suddenly we’re at the cross-quarter days.  I say days advisedly: we are halfway between the solstice and the spring equinox, but measurement, like everything else I’ve ever heard of, depends on your perspective. Time, day and season depend on where you are, which calendar you use, even which astronomical calculations. St. Brigid's day is February 1,  and Groundhog Day is, of course, February 2, as is Candlemas. These are based on the Gregorian calendar, and are not quite the same as Imbolc,...

Garlic Mustard Update

Today in the woods I discovered several garlic mustard plants with the telltale holes in the leaves that indicate insect munchers, and several others that appeared to have some sort of fungal disease. Perhaps some sort of shift is beginning, so they'll eventually settle into the ecosystem?

Comments

Diana Studer said…
When I was carefully ripping out Paterson's Curse, I found a tiny caterpillar. Now what, do I leave a few?
Hmmm. What is Paterson's Curse? I'll have to go look that up.

I was just interested to see these signs on the garlic mustard because so far, biologists haven't found any biological controls that would keep it in check. I did leave those particular plants and will probably go back in a couple of days and look at them again.
Anonymous said…
The whole garlic mustard issue is very interesting. If enough people start loving garlic mustard pesto,that could help. Re: Asian carp: noticed an article about a Chicago chef who is serving a ceviche made of that fish, and his customers liked it. :et's hope lots of chefs will follow that lead.
Good job on awareness raising.
M.