Groundhog's Day and Bees

Bee-ing a beekeeper makes one ultra-conscious about the weather.  So like many people in the country, I had my eye out for the news about the groundhog yesterday.  Apparently Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.  

However, my bees are in Georgia, so I was more interested in what General Beauregard Lee, our local groundhog prognosticator, had to share on this subject.  


I had a video here but removed it because it started automatically and was loud and irritating.
So here's a link that says the General is generally right (not a video).

Our local ground hog apparently did not see his shadow on our cloudy February 2nd morning, so he predicted an early spring.  I found another link saying that he is right 94% of the time...pretty good record for a varmit like he is.

I could have told him that.  We've had the warmest winter I can remember, maybe in all the time I've lived in Atlanta.  I only put on my long winter coat one day in the last three months.  It is not unusual for us to have a snow storm in March, but I don't expect it this year.  

The dandelions are blooming as is the red maple, our first pollen contributor of the spring.  Everyone's bulbs are about to burst open and I've seen quite a few blooming crocus plants already.


My bees are flying in and out of the hives that made it through the winter.  It's warm in Atlanta.