Love is in the Air & Spring is around the corner.

"Away in a meadow all covered with snow
The little old groundhog looks for his shadow
The clouds in the sky determine our fate
If winter will leave us all early or late."- Don Halley

  

A little history about this all-American holiday started in 1887 with  a group of hunters in Punxsutawney , PA who dubbed themselves the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and declared their furry oracle, Punxsutawney Phil, the one and only "official" weather-prognosticating groundhog. This began the yearly Groundhog Day celebration  started around that time and today people witness Phil coming out of his little warm home to predict an early or late spring; if he sees his shadow its another 6 weeks of winter if not its an early spring. While Phil's proponents maintain that his predictions are 100 percent accurate, the U.S. NDCC (National Climatic Data Center) estimates that Phil is correct  about 40 %of the time. When he's not predicting the weather, Punxsutawney Phil makes his home at the Groundhog Zoo, an annex of the town library.

                

 The history of Valentine's Day is shrouded in mystery.  St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. One of the famous legends contends that Valentine was a priest in Rome and that Claudius II decreed that single men that have never married made better soldiers. Valentine  believed this was a grave injustice and married young soldiers in secret and when Claudius found out he put him to death. We remember the second one better  as the prisoner Valentine who fell in love with his jailers daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today.  Bring your sweetheart to Magnolia Hill Bed and Breakfast:  mangnoliahillbedandbreakfast.com

Among other important dates in February there are two Presidents that were born in February one is famous for the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln and the second one is February 22 is the first president and founder of our country George Washington. We also celebrate African American History in the month of February. Lets not forget its the shortest month of the year and having only 28 days in common years, it is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon. It is also the only month of the calendar that once every six years and twice every 11 years, will have only four full 7-day week!