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Joe Todd Says "Let's Get Speedy"
Today's Quotes
To be happy--one must find one's bliss”
“We are not put on this earth to see through one another. We are put on this earth to see one another through.”
"You must always have great, secret, big fat hopes for yourself in love and in life. The bigger, the better."
"There's a saying I read recently; I painted it on the fireplace and in my studio: 'Be kind to everyone you meet, for everyone is fighting a great battle.' We all are. Everyone."
“I've always believed that one woman's success can only help another woman's success.”
― Gloria Vanderbilt
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Life in the holler...Little Winters...After the January thaw we are always looking forward to Spring. But here in the country Spring likes to play all kinds of tricks on us. We have what Appalachian folklore calls Little Winters. There is all kinds of good stories, legends, & myths in our folklore about these Little Winters. Along about the last of Feb. or early March we get use to a warm snap. Everything is wanting to bloom, makes us want to put away our winter clothes & Spring hits us with a frost, cold morning mist, & breezes that nips at us. Old timers, like me, knew this was coming & what to look forward too. Every change in the weather & surroundings had a name. Generally on & about a two week period there are some changes, but occasionally they get repeated.
The first Little Winter that comes along is Redbud winter. Mid march to the first of April. Periods of warm spells but still frosty mornings. Redbud trees starting to bloom, pink & red showing everywhere. Daffodils popping up all over. Also known as Apple Blossom winter because the apple trees start showing leaves & hint of blooms. Time to make Redbud jelly. Next comes Locust winter. Early to mid April. Orchards are full in bloom. Peach, pear, cherry, & plum. The locust trees are leaving out & starting to bloom. Warm days, cold nights. Time to plant them taters. Winter number three is Dogwood winter. Mid to late April to first of May. Also known as the Easter Squaw. Dogwood trees blooming, honey bees everywhere. Reminds us of the legend of the Dogwood tree. Still can have a frosty morn. Cold weather plants can be put out, cabbage, onions. Corn has been planted. Next we have Blackberry winter. Early May to mid May. Blackberry bushes blooming telling you that by July when the June bugs are flying you'll be eating blackberry cobbler. Still the threat of frost. Last we have Cotton Britches winter. Also known as Long Britches or Linsey Woolsey Britches winter. Because you are going to have need of them linen wool long johns to sleep in one more cold snap. After all of that if you hear a lonesome whippoorwill back in the holler before the summer solstice best save a log for the fire. It's Whippoorwill winter. Also known as Stump winter because you've burned up all your cut wood & there is nothing left to burn but the stump.
By now it's mid May the holler is green, squirrel nest are no longer setting on bare limbs easy prey for the hawk. There are wasp in the outhouse, hens are lying good again. Plant them matters. Enjoy the warm mornings setting on the porch sipping coffee talk'n to Jesus. Don't just call it Spring, our heritage is too full for that...Hidd'n in the holler...Lame Turtle.
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Have A Great Day... Joe Todd
