Non-Profit Internet Source for News, Events, History, & Culture of Northern Frederick & Carroll County Md./Southern Adams County Pa.

 

December 2014

"November’s sky is chill and drear,
November’s leaf is red and sear"
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Fair and cool (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) with showers and storms (8, 9). Fair and mild (10, 11, 12) with more showers and cooler (13, 14). Windy and cool with some lake-effect snow (15, 16, 17); periods of snow in the northern part of the region ad rain in the south (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) Fair, cold, turning windy and colder late in the month (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).

Full Moon: December’s Full Moon occurs on Saturday, December 6th. It has often been referred to as Cold Moon by many Native Americans (for obvious reasons!). Other tribes called it Ice-forming Moon and Beaver Moon because lakes and ponds begin to ice over and in some areas, beavers are scurrying to finish building their dams and lodges before the winter sets in for good.

Holidays: Celebrate Christmas on Thursday, December 25th. Enjoy family and friends during these festive times and keep that joyful and giving spirit alive throughout the coming year. New Year’s Eve is Saturday, December 31st. Here’s hoping that the New Year brings you and your family good health, full hearts, and renewed hopes. New Year’s Eve is Wednesday, December 31st. Make plans to attend a First Night Celebration and enjoy a safe, family-oriented evening of fun, food, and entertainment on the very first night of the year. Look online at www.firstnight.com/cities to find a celebration nearest you.

The Garden: Re-plant any perennials that have been heaved out of the soil by frost and consider covering them with pine bark mulch. To avoid rodent damage during the winter, keep a couple of inches clear of vegetation and mulch around the base of young trees. Plastic or metal hardware cloth can be wrapped around the base to deter their chewing on the tender bark. Remember when cutting evergreen foliage for Christmas decor, cut just above a bud. This ensures that no spurs will be left to encourage decay. The birds that stayed in the region throughout the winter are counting on us to keep those bird feeders full and to spread out plenty of seed, especially if the ground is covered with snow.

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living

"We can’t hope to find a solution to a problem unless we look at it from all sides and not just from our own point of view"

Index of Past Month's Entries