SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024 - MARCH AND SPRING

 SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024 - MARCH AND SPRING

We made it through January and February in 2024 - 2 months out of 12 (or 1/6th of the year completed - or 16.66%).

March used to be the first month of the year, and thus October - our tenth month was the eighth month - with the prefix OCT meaning eight; December - our twelfth month - back then was the tenth month - with the prefix DEC meaning ten.

March is named for Mars, the god of war, because, in ancient times, March was when the weather would improve, and armies could begin fighting again.

Weird March Fact: The second Saturday is international fanny pack day. So, if you were thinking, “Boy, I wish fanny packs had their day!” your wish has been granted.

March 15th is the Ides of March! And while Shakespeare said, “Beware of the Ides of March,” the Ides aren’t something to be scared of. 

SOME MARCH JOKES:

What group of people love March? Bands.

March is the only month that’s a name, a verb, and a noun.

March can be a month or an order!

Who doesn’t love March? Soldiers.

What do March and April have in common? The third letter is R.

What happens when your basketball team loses in March? You have March Madness sadness.

What do you call a big hairy gorilla in March? A gorilla.

Why are people tired on March 31st? They’ve been marching for 30 days. (Interestingly enough, there aren’t a lot of parades in March. But I’ve “marched” in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City  many times)

What do you call it when your team loses in the first round of the March Madness tournament?  March badness

Why do kids love to trampoline at the end of March? Because it’s spring.

What do they call March 14 at Apple? Apple Pi Day

Should you eat pie on 3/14?  Of course, you should eat pie every day.

 Slinkies love March because it's spring.

Why do people walk faster after March 20th? Because they have a spring in their step.

What do car shocks, mattresses, ballpoint pens, and march have in common? They all have springs!

What Alice in Wonderland Character loved March? The March Madness Hatter

MORE MISCELLANEOUS THINGS

These are some things I’ve learned watching the Weather Channel.  The astronomical calendar changes seasons based on the four significant sun events.  The Winter Solstice is on December 21 or 22 - when the sun reaches its lowest point.  (And, of course, that starts astronomical winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere). Summer Solstice is on June 21 or 22 - when the sun reaches its highest point - starting summer in the northern hemisphere (or winter in the southern hemisphere.  The two dates when the sun’s rays cross the equator are the equinoxes - the spring equinox and the fall (or autumn) equinox.  

But, the concept of seasons (at least on the Weather Channel is December, January, and February for winter (in the northern hemisphere); March, April, and May for spring; June, July, and August for summer; and September, October, and November for fall months.  (Note that my voice means a lot, but I like this definition of seasons better.)  

Of course, the sun is where it always is; we have seasons because of that wonderful 23-degree tilt of the Earth’s axis.  If the axis were 0, the sun would be over the equator daily, and there would be no seasons - just dull days.  And, without seasons, what would people have to complain about?  (Face it, we love to talk about the weather - it is a nice “ice breaker” for conversation starters.)

There would be little growth over the equator as the sun would beat down on it every day.  There might be little changes in the weather, too, as the sun’s heating would be pretty uniform - super hot at the equator and super cold at the poles. There wouldn’t be significant weather fronts marching across the globe. 

The sun (is approximately 93 million miles away - but the Earth’s orbit is more of an ellipse than a perfect circle. “The Earth is closest to the Sun, at its perihelion, about two weeks after the December solstice, and farthest from the Sun, or at its aphelion, about two weeks after the June solstice.”

So, that tilt of the Earth’s axis makes it seem like the sun is moving while the Earth’s position changes.  

*****

So March - with somewhat arbitrary planning has 31 days.  There are the thoughts that March can “come in like a lion and exit like a lamb” or “come in like a lamb and exit like a .”lion.” March starts a significant change in seasons, with cold (and snow) giving way to warmer temperatures. There are cold and warm fronts “marching across our land.  For some states, March can be the month with the most snowfall. With the planet's rotation, heating, and cooling, we see tornado season starting (with more tornadoes over the south of the Great Plains, more prevalent in earlier spring) and then moving north.  Storm chasers will be in Oklahoma in March and April and move north to Kansas and Nebraska as the year progresses. 

*****

May March be an excellent month for you.  If you follow sports, it will be the championship season for basketball and hockey and the lead-up to baseball season.

May March 2024 be a fantastic month for you!!  May you love more, share more, smile more, laugh more, and be generous!!!

LOVE WINS!!

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen A. White ©, March 3, 2024