It’s Spring! Animals Awake From Hibernation
By Jude Mead Spring is the time to celebrate more sunshine and warmer days. Spring is also the time when many animals awaken from a long winter’s nap. After spending a season sleeping, they emerge hungry and ready to roam. Making it to spring, however, is not an easy task for some of these animals. […]
April, Happy as a Pig in Mud
By Leslie Watkins Mud season is that slippery, slimy time of year when winter melt starts from the surface and works its way down to produce sticky wet soil. Deep ruts in dirt roads can make them impassable and hikers are advised to stay on the trails, not the edges, to prevent further erosion. Not […]
Norfolk’s February 2019 Weather
Wintertime, More or Less By Russell Russ You cannot judge a complete month’s weather by looking at just a few days. The first few days of February were quite cold with below-zero temperatures. A few days later, temperatures were in the mid-fifties. So, what was the rest of the month like? The answer is mostly […]
March, Forcing the Issue
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins This time of year, most of us in the North have had about as much of snow, subzero temps and ice as we could want. For gardeners, it’s a good time to prune fruit trees and woody shrubs. If you are seriously done with winter, there are some steps […]
Norfolk’s January 2019 Weather
Above-Normal Precipitation Continues By Russell Russ The year of 2018 was Norfolk’s seventh wettest year since 1932. It was also Norfolk’s 11th warmest year. Overall, the first month of 2019 picked up right where 2018 left off: it was wetter than normal and a little warmer than normal. January was not a monster winter-weather month […]
February, Planning a Garden
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins Winter is a wonderful time to plan and design a new garden. The stark landscape helps to envision the shapes and placement of plants, paths and views. If there’s enough snow on the ground you can thrust sticks into it to help delineate boundaries. Check out the views […]
November and December Weather and a Yearly Summary for 2018
Lots of Warmth and Precipitation By Russell Russ The year of 2018 was a wet one, and the months of November and December were also above normal for precipitation with both months adding to our yearly surplus. The previous three years were all below normal for precipitation, but 2018 ended that—and then some. The conclusion […]
Botelle Students Take On the National Great Kindness Challenge
By Lauren Valentino At the end of January, Botelle’s Student Council took on a new challenge, the Great Kindness Challenge. This weeklong event is designed to promote a positive community, with students, staff and families completing many different acts of kindness. The Great Kindness Challenge is a yearly program for schools and families across the […]


