I have a feeling that this year it is not going to matter much if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow or not on Groundhog Day. Winter seems to have forgotten New England for the most part, so I feel pretty confident that it will be spring in six weeks. Or less. I’m not tilling the soil yet, but I’m not surprised to seeing gardeners thumbing eagerly through the seed catalogs, either.

The oddly warm weather has been a grooming problem for me. Heath District Director Donna Culbert performed an extra thorough tick check on me when I came into her office from wandering around in this week’s unseasonably warm weather. Because of the lack of snow and extended periods of cold, ticks have not gone dormant, and are active and hungry. After finding a tick on herself after a New Year’s Eve walk, Ms Culbert strongly encourages everyone who goes outside in the yard, hiking, or anywhere ticks may normally be active in the summer to take preventative measures ahead of time, and perform a complete tick check on themselves, their loved ones, and pets as soon as they return to home base.

Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook will kick off its three-part second season February 3 on PBS, with a multifaceted journey through the history of American song by the acclaimed musician and five-time Grammy-nominated vocalist. Produced and directed by Amber Edwards of Newtown, owner of Hudson West Productions, the new season gives viewers an intimate look at Feinstein on stage, behind the scenes and on the road, where he has all-new adventures in his quest to celebrate and preserve the gems of classic American music. The show airs Fridays, February 3 and 10 at 9 pm, and February 17 at 10 pm, on PBS.

“In our second season, we continue to find a surprise around every corner — and what unexpected corners we turn,” says Amber. “Las Vegas, Kansas City, the Mississippi Delta, Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion — everywhere we go we find that this music reflects a different aspect of who we are as a people.  It’s as if the American Songbook is an ever-spinning prism.” This month’s programming picks right up from the first season of Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, which The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored with its Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Musical Content. Considering the talent and work Amber puts into every one of her projects, we can expect great things from this latest installation.

I’ve been wondering if any of my ancestors brushed around the ankles of General Lee or General Grant during the Civil War, so I’m going to hurry over to the talk by Genealogy Club founder Harlan Jessup, next Wednesday evening at the library, at 7. Harlan will be speaking on “Finding Your Civil War Ancestors,” and the February 8 talk is free and open to the public. President Abraham Lincoln received a gift of two kittens from Secretary of State William H. Seward when he took office, rumor has it, so maybe I’ll discover I’m a descendent of a White House inhabitant, and just in time for Presidents’ Day.

Chocolates and flowers are so… yawn. What was I saying? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I’ve found that the website uncommongoods.com has some innovative ideas for your true love, if you’re the kind of couple who gives gifts. I always think even a card that clearly says “I took the time to think about this” beats the ho-hum box of candy or bouquet, any day. Just be sure to seal it with a kiss.

I hear that the beavers that live in the bog near Palestine Road are busy as… beavers. As quick as their dam is knocked down to prevent flooding of Boggs Hill Road, the beavers are back on the job rebuilding it, every day, year around. It almost seems like that kind of diligence should be rewarded. And it must be a pretty awesome living space if the toothsome mammals are willing to rebuild again and again and again.

I had a flood of Good Eggs nominated around the holidays, and no one since. Surely there are still some Good Eggs doing their random acts of kindness behind the scenes? If you know someone who deserves a little heads up, let me know at Nancy@thebee.com, subject line: Good Egg. I don’t have a whole carton of Good Eggs on hand, but if I did, I’d be passing them out to the group from Newtown Congregational Church that left Sunday, January 29, for Biloxi, Miss., where they will help rebuild homes for those who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

There’ll be some television watching going on this Sunday, it seems. When I got invited to attend a Super Bowl party, I was very excited. I thought they meant “Souper-Bowl,” and was envisioning a table laden with all kinds of delicious stews. Silly me. Turns out, it’s a party to watch football. Mouse chili, anyone? I made a whole pot of it.

Well, I’m no football player, but I do hope to score some interesting news next week. Be sure to… Read me again.