The Frozen Mukluk

Look up!February 7 - Full Moon. TheMoon will be directly oppositethe Earth from the Sun and willbe fully illuminated as seenfrom Earth. This phase occursat 21:54 UTC.February 20 - March 12 -Best Chance to see Mercury.The planet Mercury will be farenough from the Sun's glare tobe visible shortly after sunset.Mercury will reach greatestelongation from the Sun onMarch 5, reaching a relativelybright magnitude of about -1.This will be your best chanceto see the planet this year.February 21 - New Moon. TheMoon will be directly betweenthe Earth and the Sun and willnot be visible from Earth. Thisphase occurs at 22:35 UTC.FEBRUARY FULL MOONFebruary's full Moon is called theFull Snow Moon because usuallythe heaviest snows fall in February.Hunting becomes very difficult, and sosome Native American tribes calledthis was the Hunger Moon.February's blizzards made this the FullSnow Moon, although some tribesused this name for the January fullMoon. When snows were heaviest,hunting could be severely curtailed.Full Moon: February 7Last Quarter: February 14New Moon: February 21First Quarter: February 29Wolves have howled at the Moon forcenturies, yet it is still there.And hand in hand, on the edge of thesand ,they danced by the light of theMoon.—Edward Lear, English poet (1812-88)miscellaneousFUN␣FACTS␣ABOUT␣LEAP␣YEAR!!␣Most␣people␣know␣that␣leap␣year␣comes␣approximately␣every␣four␣years␣and␣that␣the␣reason␣for␣this␣extra␣day␣is␣because␣that␣most␣calendars␣are␣based␣on␣the␣assumption␣that␣there␣are␣365␣days␣in␣a␣year␣when␣in␣fact,␣there␣are␣actually␣365␣¼␣days␣in␣a␣year.␣So,␣in␣order␣to␣keep␣our␣calendars␣in␣sync␣with␣the␣tropical␣calendar␣we␣add␣an␣extra␣day␣to␣February␣every␣four␣years.␣However,␣there␣are␣several␣interesting␣facts␣about␣this␣special␣day␣you␣may␣not␣know.␣␣*␣No␣year␣that␣is␣divisible␣by␣100␣can␣be␣a␣leap␣year␣unless␣it␣can␣be␣divided␣by␣400.␣The␣year␣2000␣was␣a␣leap␣year␣the␣year␣1900␣was␣not.␣*␣Leap␣year␣babies␣born␣in␣the␣year␣1884␣did␣not␣celebrate␣a␣single␣birthday␣on␣their␣actual␣birth␣date␣throughout␣entire␣teen␣age␣years.␣February␣29th␣fell␣on␣the␣year␣they␣turned␣12␣and␣then␣not␣again␣until␣they␣turned␣20.␣*␣The␣tradition␣of␣women␣proposing␣to␣men␣on␣leap␣year␣day␣dates␣all␣the␣way␣back␣to␣5th␣century␣Ireland.␣*␣In␣1288␣Queen␣Margret␣of␣Scotland␣ordered␣that␣any␣man␣who␣was␣proposed␣to␣on␣Leap␣Year’s␣Day␣and␣refused␣the␣proposal␣could␣be␣fined␣either␣a␣kiss,␣a␣silk␣dress,␣or␣a␣pair␣of␣gloves␣that␣were␣to␣be␣given␣to␣the␣rejected␣woman.␣So␣a␣woman,␣who␣was␣extremely␣unpopular␣could␣fund␣her␣entire␣wardrobe␣by␣proposing␣to␣a␣lot␣of␣men␣she␣knew␣would␣refuse␣her.␣*␣The␣very␣first␣calendar␣that␣provided␣for␣leap␣year␣was␣introduced␣in␣238␣B.C.␣By␣King␣Ptolemy.␣*␣Astrologers␣believe␣that␣anyone␣being␣born␣on␣February␣29th␣has␣unusual␣talents␣and␣personalities␣befitting␣of␣their␣special␣birth␣day.␣*␣People␣born␣on␣leap␣year’s␣day␣are␣called␣leaplings.␣*␣The␣last␣leap␣years␣was␣2008␣and␣the␣next␣leap␣year␣will␣be␣2012␣*␣Anthony,␣Texas␣is␣the␣self␣proclaimed␣leap␣year␣capital␣of␣the␣world.␣Every␣year␣this␣little␣town␣that␣sits␣on␣the␣border␣of␣New␣Mexico␣holds␣a␣festival␣and␣leap␣year␣birthday␣celebrations␣complete␣with␣a␣carnival␣and␣hot␣air␣balloon␣rides.␣People␣come␣from␣all␣over␣the␣world␣to␣celebrate␣their␣special␣birthday␣in␣style.␣*␣The␣chances␣of␣having␣a␣leap␣year␣birthday␣are␣1␣in␣1,461␣*␣There␣are␣about␣4␣million␣people␣in␣the␣world␣who␣have␣been␣born␣on␣February␣29th.␣␣HAPPY␣GROUNDHOG␣DAY!!!␣Thousands␣of␣years␣ago␣when␣animalism␣and␣nature␣worship␣were␣prevalent,␣people␣in␣the␣area␣of␣Europe␣now␣known␣as␣Germany␣believed␣that␣the␣badger␣had␣the␣power␣to␣predict␣the␣coming␣of␣spring.␣They␣watched␣the␣badger␣to␣know␣when␣to␣plant␣their␣crops.␣This␣tradition␣was␣brought␣over␣to␣North␣America,␣predominantly␣in␣Pennsylvania␣in␣the␣United␣States,␣where␣it␣was␣the␣groundhog,␣not␣the␣badger,␣which␣makes␣these␣“predictions”.␣According␣to␣folklore,␣if␣the␣groundhog␣will␣sees␣its␣shadow␣on␣February␣2␣it␣will␣return␣to␣its␣burrow,␣indicating␣that␣there␣will␣be␣six␣more␣weeks␣of␣winter.␣If␣it␣does␣not␣see␣its␣shadow,␣then␣spring␣is␣on␣the␣way.␣The␣Groundhog␣Day␣concept␣became␣popular␣in␣Canada␣in␣1956␣when␣Wiarton␣Willie␣became␣a␣household␣name␣for␣his␣early␣February␣“weather␣predictions”.␣Wiarton’s␣Groundhog␣Day␣festival␣grew␣as␣Willie’s␣fame␣increased.␣It␣became␣one␣of␣the␣largest␣winter␣festivals␣in␣Bruce␣County,␣Canada.␣There␣are␣also␣other␣groundhogs␣in␣different␣parts␣of␣Canada.␣For␣example,␣Schubenacadie␣Sam␣is␣reportedly␣the␣first␣groundhog␣in␣the␣country␣to␣stick␣its␣head␣out␣on␣Groundhog␣Day.␣Other␣groundhogs␣include:␣Gary␣the␣Groundhog␣in␣Ontario,␣Brandon␣Bob␣in␣Manitoba␣and␣Balzac␣Billy␣in␣Alberta.␣␣Druid Love Potion #9:(just in time for Valentines!)RosemaryBlack tea,Thyme,Rose petals,Lemon leavesMix together by the light ofthe waxing moon and say;“ By light of moon waxing Ibrew this tea, to make (nameof lover) desire me”