The famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on February 2nd and could not find his shadow. And as the legend goes, this means we're in for an early spring. I'm told that Phil isn't the only weather-predicting critter in this quirky 'American' tradition, but he is the most famous. And according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, his opinion is the only one that matters. Apparently, this is only the 20th time in his recorded history that he hasn't been able to find his shadow.

It's hard to imagine that spring is right around the corner after California has been pounded by several atmospheric rivers during the last couple of weeks. What's an atmospheric river? They are a relatively long, narrow area in the atmosphere - like rivers in the sky - that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. Just a few atmospheric river events can provide California with one third to one half of its annual precipitation. This month is already one of the wettest Februarys on record with over nine inches of rain in just the first six days.

Despite the cold rainy weather, I'm happy to report that our Valentine's Day preparations are going quite well. The flowers and foliage we’ve harvesting are gorgeous, lush, and very colorful!

Enjoy the rest of your week & Happy Valentine's Day!

     Mel