May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
Old Irish Blessing

Northeastern Region Weather Watch: Cloudy and cool (1,2,3,4) with heavy rain or snow (5,6). Windy and rather cold (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) with periods of light snow or rain (13,14,15,16). Windy and colder with some flurries (17, 18, 19). Nor'easter is predicted with heavy rains or snow (20, 21, 22) turning colder and windy (23,24,25). Cloudy in the northern part of the region, rain or snow in the southern part(26,27)turning fair and cool (28,29,30,31).

Full Moon: March's Full Moon occurs on the 10th at 9:38PM. Native Americans called it the SAP MOON because the sap would start to rise at this time throughout the region. It has also been called Worm Moon because March's warmer temperatures often softened the earth just enough to allow earthworms to begin burrowing out of the ground.

Special Notes: Vernal Equinox occurs on Friday, March 20th and signals the arrival of Spring (at long last!). Don't forget to set your clocks one hour ahead when Daylight Savings starts on Sunday, March 8th. On March 1st, 1790, the first U.S. Census was authorized. When it was completed the following August, the U.S. population totaled 3.9 million. On March 11, 1888, the famous "Blizzard of '88" struck the northeastern United States. In the days that followed, over 400 people perished as a result of the harsh weather.

Holidays: Be sure to wear something green in honor of St. Patrick on Tuesday, March 17th!

The Garden: Apply a pre-emergent fertilizer to your lawn in March (or as soon as the snow melts) and you will have fewer weeds and healthier grass come April. Consult your local nursery for an appropriate fertilizer for your yard. When the soil isn't frozen and is dry enough to dig, begin setting out perennials, shrubs, and young trees. If you have a plant or shrub that needs moving, cut a deep circle around them with a spade and "prune" the roots. This gets them ready for moving day, which should coincide with signs of any new growth. Don't feed azaleas or rhododendrons until after they bloom. Then give them a fertilizer that is specially formulated for plants that prefer acid soil. And don't forget to throw old coffee grounds around the base of these blooming beauties!

J. Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"Great things are not accomplished by idle dreams, but by years of patient study."