Mary Cope
As many of you have realized, it is still quite chilly outside, the polar opposite of the temperatures we had this time last year. I realize that the majority of us, including me, are unhappy about this, but the snow and freezing temperatures are actually doing unseen good!
Last year’s sudden warm front, as pleasurable as it was, tricked many organisms into thinking that it was later in the year. Plants germinated early, and some started to open their buds, not knowing that it was still March. Once the snow came back after the week of warm weather, all of these organisms froze. The high temperatures also caused damage to a certain special New York crop. How many of you enjoy genuine maple syrup, from real trees? Well, if you do, then you should rejoice about the cold, because it means that there will be a good harvest, this year. Last year, however, maple producers had a very rough year and did not harvest much maple at all, so prices went up. This year, I have been told, the harvest is good, thanks to these cold fronts, so there will be no maple shortages!
Plants weren’t the only organisms to suffer from the warm week. Insects were also tricked into coming out too early! They, too, died when the sudden cold front came through. I saw many dead honey bees from our local hive lying about in the snow around the hive.
Although we may not enjoy the snow and cold, it is a part of living in Central New York and we must accept it. The frigid temperatures ensure that the proper organisms awake when they can thrive. Soon the weather will warm, but for now, be patient with Mother Nature; she is just doing her job.
