This Week in Review, March 29, 2020

By Nate Feldman

Although life as we know it has stopped because of the Coronavirus, and most people are spending their days homebound, with the arrival of the spring season, it is a good time to get outside, if even just in your backyard or taking a walk down your street, to enjoy the flowers blooming and other plants coming out.  Here is a video of plant life I have seen here in and around my community over the past week.

This Week in Review, March 22, 2020

Local Community:

It is the middle of the week, and on any normal day, these same streets would be filled with cars heading to school or work, but these empty streets are the new normal in the era of Coronavirus.  Schools, libraries, and most non-essential businesses are closed.  People can only take out food or get delivery from restaurants. 

Last week, Governor Tom Wolf ordered all schools in the commonwealth closed because of the spread of the coronavirus.  By the weekend, it was announced that all non-essential businesses in several counties surrounding Philadelphia had to temporarily close their doors as well.  Although many businesses complied with this, some remained open.  Following the first reported death from the virus in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Wolf repeated the demand again on Thursday evening, stating that there would be strong penalties for businesses that kept their doors open.  Many people believe these strong measures are necessary as more and more coronavirus cases are popping up in Pennsylvania, and with it greater concern that this sickness will affect more and more people without drastic isolation measures. 

Plant Life:

The spring season officially began this week, and although most trees remain bare, many spring plants have come out early in the northeast United States due to the mild winter and unseasonably warm temperatures.  In the Philadelphia area, forsythia bushes began dotting the area with a striking yellow color.  Forsythias often come out between Mid-March to early April depending on how warm it is.  Daffodils, another popular spring flower, have also begun blooming quite early this year.  With temperatures reaching into the high 70s this week, it should be no surprise these plants are out.    

Weather:

Sunday and Monday offered bright sun and mild temperatures, continuing the trend of an early spring.  It was briefly rainy on Tuesday with a mostly cloudy afternoon and brief periods of sunshine.  Wednesday was mostly sunny in the early part of the day.  There were brief periods of rain on Thursday and Friday as well, but the temperature reached into the 70s.  Saturday was sunny and clear, but it was much colder with temperatures in the high 40s throughout most of the day. 

This Week in Review March 15, 2020

By Nate Feldman

Top Story:

The spread of the Coronavirus is the main focus around the world these days, and now it has begun taking a hold on the lives of people here in the United States.  This week was perhaps one of the most dramatic weeks in recent history with the suspension of all major professional sports leagues, the cancellation of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, and the closing of most local businesses.

Weather Report:

In weather this week, there was a lot of sunshine and mild to warm temperatures.  In fact, it got as high as 70 degrees on Monday, reminding us that spring is just around the corner.  There was some rain in the middle part of the week, but it was otherwise a mostly pleasant time to be outdoors. 

This Week in Review, March 8, 2020

By Nate Feldman

Weather:

The weather this week was mostly sunny with cool to mild temperatures.  There was rain throughout most of Friday, but it was otherwise a dry week.  With temperatures reaching as high as the 70s during the next week, spring feels like it is just around the corner. 

The Arts:

I spent a lot of this week working on a series of drawings.  One of them is a greeting card I am creating for the upcoming spring season.  It has the picture of a park in a rural area on a sunny day. 

Another picture is the cover of a story I am putting together called Sara and Sofie’s Ginormous Potato.  It’s inspired by a children’s book I recently read called “Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato,” an Irish children’s story about a lazy farmer who grows one of the biggest potatoes the world has ever seen. 

This Week in Review, March 1, 2020

By Nate Feldman

Weather:

Today is March 1, and we are two months into the year 2020.  I will use this week to look back at the year we have had so far.  It’s almost spring, and though there were a couple of light snowfalls, there has been hardly any winter weather this season in the Philadelphia area.  Most days have been dry, and even when there has been precipitation, it has come in the form of rain.  With spring just around the corner, it seems that the 2019-2020 winter season will be one without a major snow event. 

Holidays:

In February, people decorated their homes, schools, and businesses for Valentine’s Day, the international day of love.  People also made different cards and crafts in the shape of hearts. 

Tips and Life Advice:

I have given different pieces of advice this year for people including cooking for oneself, exercising, and cleaning up.  Hopefully, these are useful suggestions for people in their lives.