February 2008 Almanac
This Month: Go Aerobic Outdoors, Or Leisurely In
February means more of January, but yes, we have changes impossible for even the most casual observer to miss. Snow and ice in early January can be iffy some years, but this month, we indeed have thick ice and lots of snow every year. Days have lengthened noticeably, particularly by the end of the second month, and some days just have a half-spring feel. Of course, a winter storm can knock hints of the new season back into Tuesday.
February offers multiple activities that run a wide range on the exertion scale, beginning with bobcat hunting, a tough sport. Hunters must chase bobcats through deep snow to tree them. Chasing rabbits with a beagle in a small wood lot strikes hunters as an easier sport, but ice-fishing may be a tad easier, particularly for those folks with snowmobiles to aid them. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing offer folks plenty or aerobic exercise, but snowmobiling means less of a cardiovascular workout.
On the opposite end of the exertion scale, many folks spend February tying flies, cooking leisurely meals, perusing seed catalogs, building rods, reading how-to and mood books, etc. The only hard feature of any of them is getting a sore butt.
Sportsman shows kick off this month big time just south of Kittery, and a good one offers folks with cabin fever an excellent diversion. Soon, it will be March and a new songbird fresh from the south or north sings most mornings, so while lying in bed at dawn, astute listeners hear new sounds.