----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill T" <[log in to unmask]>

> Right now, because of El Nino and a cold Atlantic Oscillation along with
> northern volcanic eruptions, you have both coasts warmer than usual this
> winter but the middle of the country much colder. We had cooler summers
> across the board for the past several summers.

Not here on the southern Atlantic coast. This winter has had more long 
sustained cold periods than in many years. Plus we had about 4 inches of 
snow, the first snow that accumulated in quite a few years.

This is a change from winters of late, which have tended to oscillate from 
brief cold snaps to warm spells even into the 70s. December was warm; we 
didn't have a killing frost until a couple days before Christmas. But since 
then, we've had quite a few days with highs only in the 40s, a couple that 
didn't even get above freezing, and most struggling to get above the low 
50s. Looks like it will be March before we see the 70s.

I've always thought that a cold winter here portended a good spring, as much 
of the spring feed is from hardwood bloom, and the cold seems to prime the 
blossoms. A freeze after the flow starts can hurt though.

Bees started carrying maple pollen Friday. There were a lot of play flights 
Friday and Saturday afternoon.

On another note, I'm pushing to get our wild bee house done this week. I saw 
wild bees for the first time on dandelions Saturday. We are setting up this 
major project in our front yard, and it will not only provide hundreds of 
nest sites for solitary bees, but will also be a display for the public. You 
can see photos of the partly completed project on my blog.

Dave Green
http://pollinator.com/blog/ 

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