February was an unexpectedly good month — for a February. There were many clear days, several manageable snow storms, ice in the stiller waters, and a few unusually warm days balanced by a few very cold days. If you judge the month by your ability to enjoy the out-of-doors, this February would rank about an eight or nine — for a February.
The snow was no problem, as usual. Our snow plow operators always have cleared the roads, private lanes, and driveways soon after the snow arrived.
To be sure, there were a few stereotypically dark February days of fog, rain, muck, and simultaneous sun and snow flurries.
The woods alternated between frosted and unfrosted, while the streams surged with snowmelt.
The most prominent of our winter wildlife — the white-tailed deer and wild turkeys — seemed to thrive during this February. However a disturbing trend continued this month with the common eiders: Each year, fewer and fewer have been coming to winter in our unfrozen coastal waters and this year there were the fewest yet.
On the waterfront, commercial vessels were either being stored “on the hard” or fishing for scallops with added booms and masts to trawl with their dredging nets (usually called “drags”).
Of course, February includes Valentine’s Day, a time for spring flowers. However this February was when our annual “Christmas amaryllis” finally decided to bloom.
Finally, February, on her last day, left us with new snow gleaming in brilliant sunshine — she went out like a flying swan while we wondered whether March would come in like the proverbial roaring lion.
(All images in this post were taken in Down East Maine during February 2022.)