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Most of us are familiar with the term “bucket list,” which refers to a list of things you want to do/see or both before you die. This past month, I was able to cross off two things on my bucket list; a horse and carriage ride in Central Park and seeing snow on the ocean beach. While these things aren’t too extravagant, they really meant something to me, and got me wondering what other things might be on my list.

But instead of thinking about what places I might want to visit, I started thinking about weather and nature. What weather events would I love to see? Right now a decent snowstorm would be nice, but I have experienced that in my life, so what other things should be on my “natural wonders bucket list?”

I decided to ask a few people around the Farmers’ Almanac office what they’d like to see before they um … “kick the bucket.”

Here is what they came up with:

Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney – Many of us have always wanted to go to this silly yet fun weather-related event and experience for ourselves what Groundhog Day is like in the most famous groundhog city. (We may be planning a road trip next year.)

Tornadoes – Our designer has voiced his desire to go on a tornado chase many times (in fact I have to remember if he ever retires what a wonderful gift that might be). Tornadoes are one of the most powerful forces of nature. Seeing one from a safe, yet close distance would be an awe-inspiring experience.

Dust Storm – I’ve always lived on the East Coast, so witnessing a real live dust storm should be on my list.

Volcanic Eruption – After viewing that molten hot lava on TV and on videos in school, imagine actually watching that at a safe, but in-person distance.

Aurora Borealis  (Northern Lights) – How eerily fantastic would it be to see such beautiful colors in a night sky, in person, perhaps in Alaska or Norway?!

What would you add to our growing list of must-see natural wonders?

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As you may have heard, Punxsutawney Phil, arguably the most famous prognosticating groundhog in the United States, did not see his shadow this weekend, which means spring is supposed to come a bit early this year.

Of course, as we reported last month, we’re not expecting an early spring.

So, now the race is on to find out who is right, the Almanac or the rodent.

The lore surrounding groundhog days dates back to the Middle Ages. An ancient Celtic prophecy foretold that sunny weather Candlemas, February 2, heralds a long winter. Medieval folk relied on hedgehogs to predict the coming of spring, while early American settlers found the local groundhogs more accessible.

Are you hoping for an early spring this year? Why or why not. Is the weather in your area springlike, or is winter still holding on tight? Share your thoughts below!

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Since the beginning of humankind, there has been an insatiable desire for us to go further, to learn more and take even greater risks in the process. This has been the case:

• For Christopher Columbus when he set out for India and landed on this continent.
• For the Pilgrims landing here in 1620.
• For all the men and women who headed west over difficult terrain.
• For those who have climbed Mt. Everest.
• For those who explored the depth of our seas.
• And many others …

Starting in the last century, space has provided the greatest growth opportunities and most dramatic risks. From Sputnik in 1957 to the U.S .moon landing in 1969 to touching down on Mars recently, we have pushed farther and farther to understand our universe.

Throughout all of this discovery, countless men and women have risked their lives. No matter where we have gone, on Earth or beyond, it has been at the cost of lives. So many have died in the pursuit of greater knowledge and a better life for others.

In 1986, the space shuttle challenger exploded during takeoff over the Atlantic Ocean, taking seven lives and thwarting an exciting mission connected to classrooms.

And today marks the 10th anniversary of the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. The Columbia was the first of its kind to propel astronauts into space and to our space station. During its 28th mission, which started on January 16th, it exploded, sending debris over several states.

Space travel has always been a marvel to me. This explosion took lives of astronauts we had been watching doing “routine” work for almost two weeks. It was heartwrenching.

Take a moment today to think about all of the brave people in the who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the years in the name of discovery, not only in the space program, but since the dawn of time. Where there is danger, there are risk takers.

Today we especially remember, with great appreciation, Rick Husband (Commander), William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon

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A few weeks ago, Farmers’ Almanac editor Peter Geiger took a call from a distraught reader who had just been hit by her insurance company with a “named storm deductible,” on the grounds that The Weather Channel had assigned a name to the winter storm that damaged her home.

The popular cable network began the practice of naming winter storms this past autumn. The first named storm was Athena, which hit the East Coast in early November. Though hurricanes have been named since 1945 by a variety of official agencies, most recently under the auspices of the international World Meteorological Organization, winter storms have never been named prior to this year.

When it announced the decision to begin doing so, The Weather Channel said there would be many benefits to assigning names to winter storms, including raising awareness, improving the ability to follow an individual storm’s progress using social media, and greater clarity of reporting when multiple storms strike different regions.

The decision drew some criticism, most notably from Joel Myers, founder and president of Accuweather, who believes naming winter storms will do more harm than good.

“In unilaterally deciding to name winter storms, The Weather Channel has confused media spin with science and public safety. We have explored this issue for 20 years and have found that this is not good science and will mislead the public. Winter storms are very different from hurricanes. Hurricanes are well-defined storms following a path that can be tracked. Winter storms are often erratic, affecting different areas unevenly. Their centers may not be well-defined. There may be multiple centers and they often shift. One area may get a blizzard, while places not too far away may experience rain or fog, or nothing at all. Naming a winter storm that may deliver such varied weather will create more confusion in the public and the emergency management community,” said Myers

The names the Weather Channel reserved for the 2012-13 winter season are: Athena, Brutus, Caesar, Draco, Euclid, Freyer, Gandolf, Helen, Iago, Jove, Khan, Luna, Magnus, Nemo, Orko, Plato, Q, Rocky, Saturn, Triton, Ukko, Virgil, Walda, Xerxes, Yogi, and Zeus. So far, we’ve been through about half of these names. As I write this, winter storm Luna is battering the Mid-Atlantic states.

What do you think of named winter storms? Do you like it, or is it all just a bunch of hot (er, cold?) air?

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I may be one of the few to avoid a cold and flu this winter (at least so far). But, we hear coughing, sneezing and the blowing of noses all around us these days. Regardless of what may afflict you, one of the remedies is lots and lots of water. Common wisdom is to drink eight cups of water each day. But that is a lot of water and may seem daunting. In chatting with my company’s nurse, she recommended a few suggestions to make the task easier and will go a long way toward keeping your body healthy.

1. When at a restaurant (or home), order water with a lemon.

2. Drink and drive – While we don’t want to be distracted while driving but keep a bottle in your car and sip as you drive.

3. Tap water filters – Sometimes city water can be unpleasant. So, put a filter on your faucet and make it tastier.

4. Be a water snob – there are lots of brands of water from Poland Spring to Perrier to local springs. Pick the one you like best and drink to your health.

5. Many of us are exercising more so be sure to reward your body with lots of water during and after.

6. Flavor of the month – A new option is some very tasty fruit flavored waters. I can drink so much more water if there is some fruit appeal… and few to no calories.

7. Water bottles – Most of us have a favorite water bottle – the one that is the right, size, shape and feel. When I travel to Haiti each spring, I bring my favorite

8. Sip – In 24 hours, there is plenty of time to get it all in. You don’t have to gulp the water down in one go. You can actually sit or stop at water fountains for small doses. It all adds up.

Being hydrated is important year round. But, during the cold and flu season it is absolutely necessary. While it is not always easy to drink 8 cups of water each day, try a few of these tricks and you will not only stay hydrated but it will lessen your desire to eat more food. What are your favorite ways to consume water? Please share below!

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The 1960s was a decade of change. It started with great hope – Kennedys and Camelot – along with the near impossible challenge to land man on the moon by the end of the decade. It quickly unraveled with the war on poverty (Johnson), the VietNam War, civil riots, burning cities, and several assassinations.  I am not a historian, but I did grow up in the ’60s and witnessed firsthand the evolution and revolution.

Through it all Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a voice of reason and professed peace. Last week as I watched the Lincoln movie, I was reminded of the difficulties of racial equality during the Civil War. One hundred years later,  as our country still struggled with equality, Dr. King had the strength and courage to articulate what had been bubbling below the surface for generations. Today we salute the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all others who dreamt the dream and helped change the culture of this country.

“Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”

As we celebrate the life and dreams of Dr. King Jr., I hope that we are reminded to give back to our communities in ways that make us better people and to embrace the idea that all men and women are created equal.

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If you had a choice, where would you want to spend winter? Do you like places that offer a true winter experience, such as snow, and cold temperatures? Or do you prefer to escape Mother Nature’s cold wrath and spend time on a warm beach or at least in a place that sees snow very rarely?

Personally I like a snowy winter, not a real cold one, but also think the best winter weather would be if it snowed from a little before Christmas until the beginning of February (that’s long enough!). But as we all know, weather doesn’t always cooperate with our wishes and wants.

In this year’s Farmers’ Almanac we chose our picks for the top 5 Winter Locations and Top 5 Summer locations. You can read the full article here, which explains how we chose the cities and why, but in summary the top five winter cities according to the Farmers’ Almanac are:

Key West, Florida  * San Diego, California  * Phoenix, Arizona  *  Watertown, New York   * Flagstaff, Arizona

Check out why these cities made the list (you may be surprised at a few) and then let me know if you think a different city should’ve been chosen.

Have a great weekend. Stay warm.

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Friendship is a very powerful force in all of our lives. From the time we are born until the day we die, the rewards of having friends to share the good, bad and in between are never ending. As we age, we gain the knowledge (hopefully) about what friends are keepers and what friends are just passing fads.

As life continues on its ever-changing path of decisions, choices and changes, friendships live, die and sometimes are renewed. Sometimes I think about the many different groups of friends I have. I have friends from college, friends from work, friends I met through my kids, and friends that I see once in a blue moon. I feel very fortunate to have so many different groups of friends that I can still rely on, still call up and catch up with, and still enjoy sharing thoughts, events, and hardships.

In a few weeks, I am getting together with some friends from college. We haven’t seen each other in a few years, yet I know once we get together, our shared past and desire to take part in the present will allow us to pick up as if we just saw each other last week.

We ran a story a few years back about Friends for Life. A few of our readers shared their stories about how long their friendships have continued and why. You can read some of their stories here.

My purpose in writing this blog today, though, is to remind us all of how important friends are and to perhaps encourage you and me to reach out to friends this year and rekindle or reconnect to a person who may have been or who still is an important part of your life.

The New Year is upon us and one of my goals is to visit with the many friends I have throughout the year and to remind them of just how much they mean to me. I hope you too have a bunch of friends that you can reach out and share good times and bad.

To quote from the movie, It’s A wonderful Life, “…No man is a failure who has friends.”

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With the start of a New Year, many of us resolve to lose weight, stay or get fit, and to stop smoking, all things that may help lead to a long and healthy life. While these resolutions are often hard to stick to, any adjustment you make towards living a healthier lifestyle is a step in the right direction.

Some of us are fortunate enough to have longevity in our families. My grandmother (paternal side) was the only grandparent I knew. She lived to be 89, but to me always seemed “old”. Fast forward, my mother will be 91 this month and shows no signs of letting up or giving up. She maintains a house, drives, hangs out with a much younger crowd and has a zest for life. Admittedly, her social life puts mine to shame.

It is not unusual to see many deaths in the obituaries for folks in their early, mid or upper 90s. My Dad’s Almanac sidekick, Ken Conner, was lifting weights at a gym at 96 and passed at 99 1/2…. never ill. But what about the super old – those over 100. In the past month I have read about Jiroemon Kimura of Japan – the oldest person on earth born April 19, 1897. In the US, Dina Manfredini of Iowa passed at 115. This weekend, it was reported that Mamie Readen of South Carolina passed away at 114 years after holding the oldest title for 2 solid weeks.

The oldest all time person was Jeanne Louise Calment of France who mastered 122 + 164 days on this earth. Yikes. In the 1997 Farmers’ Almanac, we looked for the secrets of living 100 and beyond. Included in the article was Fred Hale of Maine., At the time he was 105 years of age. He still shoveled snow off his roof until 103 and only gave up his license at 108 (a world record). I spoke at an elder luncheon with  Fred in the room when he was 107. But, his greatest accomplishment was living to the ripe old, old age of 113 (12 days shy on his next birthday).

OK – some people live long enough to set a record. We strive to lose weight, stay fit and stop smoking. But, how long do you and I want to live? Is it OK to be 100 and if so, under what conditions. Fred left Maine for Syracuse, NY, to live near his 85 year old son after cataract operations at 109 and 110. In my case, when I was 7 years old, my Dad started to drop hints about editing the Farmers’ Almanac. His best selling point was that no editor ever died before the age of 86. That sounded reasonable then and it still does. But, what is your life long goal?? Assuming good health, how long do you want to live?