Did you know that this is the earliest spring in our lives. That’s right, thanks to a leap year weirdness the equinox is 2 days earlier (March 19 or 20 depending on your timezone) than it used to be. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac equinoxes and solstices are happening earlier and earlier every year because of how leap year is calculated. When I was little it was always March 21st, this year it was on March 19. That means this was the earliest spring since 1896.
I will let The Almanac explain Why Spring Begins Early This Year
It all happens because the number of days in a year isn’t even. A year lasts 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. Call it 365.2422 days. If only the year were 11 minutes longer, or 365.25000 days, we could simply add one day every fourth year and take care of the fraction forever.
But because Earth spins a hair less than 365 ¼ times per year, we must sometimes omit that extra once‑every‑four‑year day, and that’s what creates all this fussing. Skip three leap years every four centuries and you’re accurate to one day in about 3300 years. (We even deal with THAT little glitch by skipping February 29 in the year 4000.)
A calendar that doesn’t accurately divide days into the year starts going weirdly out of sync. Seasons start happening at odd times. In the previous Julian calendar (where all century years were leap years) the annual 11‑minute error accumulated to where equinoxes were happening around March 11. The Easter Bunny was hopping around in the snow!
The present calendar takes care of everything. This leap year will make 2016 have the earliest seasons of our lives (thus far!).
But Louise and Sofie don’t know that spring was early. They just want to chase the ducks. Have a great day!
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This is a blog hop. I hopped it from MYBrownNewfies. Check them out for more mischief.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
rumpydog
April 4, 2016 at 04:00
I wonder if it means more walkies?
dogdaz
April 4, 2016 at 08:06
Nicer walks since it is warmer
Cupcake
April 4, 2016 at 04:32
All those numbers give us a headache. I just want to go to the park.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
dogdaz
April 4, 2016 at 08:07
Yep. That is about right.
easyweimaraner
April 4, 2016 at 08:39
Oh I hope the weather guy will read that… he promised cold temperatures and no spring…. and yep, I’m with Louise and Sofie… is that the time for duck hunting?
dogdaz
April 4, 2016 at 09:50
and rolling in the duck stuff too
Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com)
April 4, 2016 at 11:06
That’s a pretty cool trivia fact. If only Mother Nature would play along and stop holding onto winter temps…
dogdaz
April 4, 2016 at 12:57
April is a very fickle month
Groovy Goldendoodles
April 4, 2016 at 16:07
So many numbers for just one little ole month. LOL
dogdaz
April 4, 2016 at 20:29
Well 11 minutes can become a century of we’re not careful.
Misty Shores Chesapeakes
April 4, 2016 at 23:24
That’s interesting! But the brown dogs say “yea bring on the ducks”
dogdaz
April 5, 2016 at 08:50
You doggies would know. We have a lot of Cormorants too. Do you hunt those?
Vicki Flaherty
April 8, 2016 at 20:47
I like the perspective of these wise ones! 🙂 Interesting history!