March 22, 2008 [LINK / comment]
The vernal equinox this year (March 20) coincided with a marked mild turn in the weather, beckoning nature lovers outdoors. I took this photo of a yellow crocus flower in the garden in front of Emmanuel Episcopal Church this afternoon. (I helped out for a while with a cleanup crew this morning.) I distinctly recall that crocuses often bloom as early as February or even January, but this year the winter seems to have dragged on longer than usual, perhaps because of that groundhog in Punxatawney, PA.
Tonight is the first full moon this spring, which is why tomorrow will be Easter -- the earliest Easter in our entire lives, in fact. According to my brother Chris,
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!