So opines the Old Farmer’s Almanac (Actually the Old Farmer says it’s “not worth a pin,” but I took a few poetic liberties to improve {?} the rhyme). February has a number of putative highlights:
andlemas/Groundhog Day, the Full Snow moon (Doesn’t seem to have been very consequential, at least around here), St. Valentine’s Day/ Sts. Cyril & Methodius (Guess which saint in that lot is best remembered. Seen any Methodius hearts lately? Cyrillic cards? That’s what I thought.), Presidents’ Day (Not a real exciting observance, most of those guys were pretty straight-laced; good enough for a day off though…and advertised sales on everything from walk-in baths to hiking boots.), Shrove Tuesday–better known as Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday–last day to consume pancakes or paczki before Lent sets in on Ash Wednesday (I did see that many groceries were jumping the gun, so to speak, getting those luscious jelly doughnuts out on shelves before it was even February. Somebody is planning, I’ll bet, to ignore the fact that Fat Tuesday is supposed to be the LAST day to eat all the good stuff before focusing on prayer and fasting for the penitence before Easter). On the 17th, the OFA claims that, “Winter’s back breaks.” I’ll believe that when I see it–without looking through a veil of wind-blown sleet & freezing rain like some of what we’ve been treated to already. Just to protect his denim-overall-covered behind, the OF, on the same page, offers items of interest about pines and pine cones, including how to use them as bird feeders (Fill ‘em with natural peanut butter, roll in birdseed, hang up.) and as fire starters (Soak with paraffin, adding Epsom salts or table salt or salt substitute to produce various colored flames; melted crayons can be added to enhance the decor.). If Winter’s back is broken at this point, why are we huddled around a fire? Just asking.
Okay, now to circle back just a tad, the AB-J recently had a page on things to do for/with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day. Some were fairly close and/or doable.
For instance, there were the sleigh rides offered by Ma & Pa’s Cabin & Sleigh Ride. Right up the road on Rte. 422; frozen ground and 4 inches of snow required–carriage rides are available in case of no snow, and refreshments are available. Same kind of limitations at Spring Mist Farms in Brunswick; they do hayrides & ponies in the summer too.
How about the “whodunit” train ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway? “Rumba Romance” is this year’s theme. Two-hour ride, costumes encouraged (prize for best), concessions available. Agatha Christy is swooning.
Consider the Akron Break Room, where folks–couples or individuals– can smash glasses, dishes, VHS tapes, computer keyboards, etc., whatever gets their goat…or the OutRage Rage Room in Kent,,,,, which also has a splatter room. Talk about your bonding experience! You can also BYOB, bring your own breakables. Weaponry includes crowbars and bats. Both of these places have protective gear–face shields, gloves, army fatigue jackets, helmets. , and of course, shoe covers, hair covers & ponchos in the spatter spaces. You can even bring your own clothing to be spattered and take it home as a souvenir. In the same genre, if a little less destructive, is the Akron ArtWorks. The quote from that place is, “It’s not art unless you get messy.” That about says it for that place; participants each get an 11 by 14 canvas attesting to their talents. The wine, cheese and crackers are part of the experience.
And for a “Frightfully Romantic Evening”, check out the Akron Haunted Schoolhouse, it will be open for special Valentine’s Day tours. The other quote for this place is that it covers “just about every terror you can imagine, from classic monsters to more modern horror movies, and just about everything in between…including chickens.” I was always scared of chickens anyway, but are they renegades from Hitchcock’s “The Birds”? I’ll never find out.
And–totally removed from all that–the sap buckets are out.! Seems early, early to me, but what do I know about it. My mom had a picture or two of Little Iva (not like Little Eva in Uncle Tom’s Cabin) out in the woods riding on a horse-drawn sled heading for the sugarhouse. What a cutie! What happened? I see buckets at Donnie Craver’s place, so I figure that “my supplier” will be open for business sooner rather than later. On our trip to KY, I decided to do a little “sucking up” and took the director of the affair what was just about the last of my stash. He was most appreciative, and said that he couldn’t get much of it down there. Maybe, if we see them again at nationals, he’ll bring me some bourbon. It’d be only fair.
