Thursday morning stuff

With the Vernal Equinox only 17 days away, I have to say this has been a remarkably mild winter in northeast Arkansas, especially compared with the hellish parade of blizzards that plagued the states north and east of us.

We had a little more snow than usual, but it most cases it was gone in a day or two and served as a picturesque reminder of what we left behind when we moved here from Indiana in the autumn of 2007.

In case you’re wondering, the Vernal Equinox occurs at 6:21 p.m. CDT, Sunday, March 20. (Daylight Savings Time begins a week previous, on Sunday, March 13.)

Things are starting to green up here and the crop dusters are out like big dragonflies. One has been working a field south of us for the last hour or so, making his turns over our back yard.

Oddly enough, our dogs take no notice of low-flying aircraft. Ruthie is mostly deaf, so she probably isn’t aware of them. Pete ignores them, but is deeply disturbed when he sees jet contrails defacing his pristine blue sky. He’s the only dog I’ve ever seen who pays attention to the sky and he barks angrily whenever he sees contrails.

I have a couple of stories to write, but I’m resisting. They’re not due until 5 p.m. Monday, but since my wife is the person who has to edit them, it would be bad manners to add to the avalanche of last-minute story filings that she’s bound to get. So maybe I’ll write them this afternoon. Or tomorrow. Or maybe Saturday.

I’ve already shot and submitted the photos to go with them, so it’s all down to sitting here and cranking them out.

Several Facebook friend have asked if I felt any of the Arkansas earthquakes over the past week. Nope. Not a one. They are centered around Greebrier, Ark. about 100 miles southwest of us, so the effect here has been slight. Nevertheless, some people in Jonesboro claim to have felt one or two of them.

Even though there is seismic activity in this region almost daily, I have yet to feel any of it because it’s mostly what they call “micro earthquakes.”

The most recent occurred less than an hour ago. I didn’t feel it either. Here’s the report from the Cooperative Central and Southeast U.S. Seismic Network:

A minor earthquake occurred at 9:31:49 AM (CST) on Thursday, March 3, 2011 .
The magnitude 3.0 event occurred 4 km (2 miles) NNE (22 degrees) of Greenbrier, AR .
The hypocentral depth is 6 km ( 4 miles).

Should the Big One come along the New Madrid Fault, I’m sure I’ll notice.