Beech Tree News Network

February is approaching. It’s not a popular month or a fair-weather month. When people associate different months with specific things, this month is often associated with winter weather and/or love. February is a unique time.

How popular is the month of February? In 2005, Gallup asked 1,000 Americans about their favorite month, May came in first as most popular, and October was a close second. June and December tied for third, while July and April tied for fifth. Following those rankings were (in order) September, November, August and March. January and February tied for last place as least popular (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/04/the-definitive-ra...). February is definitely not a popular time.

Local February weather tends to be chilly, but not too miserable (https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/morgantown/kentucky/united-states/...). For Morgantown, the average high temperature for the month is 48° F, and the average low is 27°. The average precipitation is 3.98 inches, and the average snowfall is 3 inches. Since Kentucky is in a four-season region, we can expect some cold and wet winter weather during the month.

While reading quotes that relate to February, I found six that interested me. They verbalize associations others have made with this month (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/february-quotes):

-No one’s ever achieved financial fitness with a January resolution that’s abandoned by February (Suze Orman).

-The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within (William Cullen Bryant).

-February is for curmudgeons, whinge-bags, and misanthropes. You can’t begrudge us one month of the year or blame us for being even crabbier, it’s so short. There is nothing good about it, which is why it’s so great (Lionel Shriver).

-For a country that makes such a fuss about love on the 14th of February, America has a funny way of showing it on the other 364 days of the year (Amanda Foreman).

-February days are a marketing gimmick; love happens every day (Randeep Hooda).

-One of the major dangers of being alone in February is the tendency to dwell on past relationships. Whether you’re daydreaming about that ‘one that got away,’ or you’re recalling the fairy tale date you went on last Valentine’s Day, romanticizing the past isn’t helpful – nor accurate (Amy Morin).

With February’s approach, I tell myself that winter is running its course and will end soon. As Terri Guillemets said, “February is the border between winter and spring” (http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/february-quotes/). Hurry, February – I’m watching for spring!