Covid Journal, Day 234: The Bright Hollow Fog

Warm as can be yesterday, high in the upper 70's. Rain moved in overnight and is still falling today. Temps cooled off too, and will be in the 40's tonight. 

Such a perfect November kind of day, after a couple weeks of abnormally warm weather. Today was rain and fog, dark and dreary. 

The fog, and my cousin John's beautiful post on his blog By Stargoose and Hanglands, made me think about folklore about fog. And, of course, there is. I did not find much particular to the Appalachian region in my searches, although it is often thought that the fogs and mists that rise from our hollows in these mountains are the source of many a ghostly experience. And no wonder, for the fog twisting and winding through trees can easily make one think it was something unworldly, and not just a natural phenomena. 

The only local lore I have heard about fog is that is there is a heavy fog in the morning in spring, there will be no frost. Also, a morning fog in summer means no rain that day. I have found both of these to hold true most of the time. And of course, a misty/foggy ring around the moon means rain on the way--when it will fall depends on how many stars are within the ring. If none, it will rain the next day; if 2, then rain in two days, and so on.

I did find quite a few superstitions about fog and mist, almost all of them weather-related. Which makes sense, right? For example:

If a morning fog rises rapidly, or is there is mist in the air at dawn in winter, rain is on the way.

According to one source, a foggy day was regarded with care because people thought it meant the gods wanted to communicate. Gatherings would be held at sacred places in hopes of receiving these communications. 

A day when the fog hangs around most of the day, like today, was believed in some cultures to mean something good was on the way. I certainly hope this one is right. We could use some good things happening. However, in other places, it was thought to mean that death or some other terrible event was about to take place. 

A foggy morning in a West Virginia state park.

And then, in still other places, it was said that if you were single and met someone on a foggy day, marriage would come of it. That reminds me of the movie we just watched tonight, Return of the Native, based on the book by Thomas Hardy. The book has long been a favorite of mine and I have had a copy on my bookshelves for probably 50 years. In the story, a young man is walking through a heavy fog when a beautiful woman and a white horse appear in front of him--and the woman disappears when a heavy drift of fog momentarily hides her from sight. And yes, the couple does get married. 

Fog off the cost of Inis Mor, Ireland, when we were there in 2017.

And a few more about the weather:

Fog in winter foretells wind and cold.

The number of fogs in August is an indication of the number of snows we'll have in the coming winter.

The following are from the book Weather Lore: A Collection of Proverbs, Sayings and Rules Concerning the Weather, written by Richard Inward in 1898. 

A good hay year, a bad fog year.

Much fog in autumn, much snow in winter.

A winter fog will freeze a dog.

If in winter the barometer rises very high, and a thick fog sets in, it is a sure sign that the south-west and north-east winds are " fighting each other." Neither of them can make head against the other, and there is a calm, but there is great danger of such a state of things being followed by a bad gale.—United States.

Fog in January brings a wet Spring. Fog in February means frosts in May.

There will be as many frosts in June as fogs in February.

Fogs in March, frosts in May.

Fog in March, thunder in July.

As much fog in March, so much rain in summer.

As much dew in March, so much fog rises in August. And fog in August means plenty of snow in January.

Fogs in April foretell a failure of the wheat crop--this one from Alabama.

If the first three days of April be foggy, there will be a flood

in June.

If the first three days in April be foggy.

Rain in June will make the lanes boggy.

Observe on what day in August the first heavy fog occurs, and expect a hard frost on the same day in October. from the US.

In the Mississippi valley, when fogs occur in August, expect fever and ague in the following fall

A very foggy topic! So to finish up, here's a lovely tune, The Bright Hollow Fog, by the group Inis Fail. I confess I'd never heard of them until turning up this video, but I like this. I first heard the tune being played by my friend Jenny Allinder, but don't have a video of her playing it on fiddle with her friend Jim Mullins on guitar, but this version is pretty nice. Enjoy.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Happy Winter!

Happy Winter, my northern hemisphere friends! Like it or not, the season is officially here. If you are wondering what to expect weather-wise, there is plenty of advice and caution out there in folklore-land.

Here are 10 examples:

If October is warm, February will be very cold. Check.

Neighbor's cattle

The closer the new moon is to Christmas Day, the colder the winter will be. New moon was Wednesday, so kinda close...

If there was a big berry crop, the winter will be cold. Berries did very well in our area this past summer.

A heavy mast means a bad winter ahead. Check--the acorns were thick on the ground this fall.

What kind of weather did you have on October 9? Sunny=cold, hard, winter. Rainy=mild winter. I can't remember for sure, but I believe it was sunny here.

Ancient texts reported the belief that the weather for the entire year was settled during the twelve days between winter solstice and New Year's Day. During that time, the sages said, earth rested and laid the groundwork for the coming year.

When leaves fall early, winter will be mild. When leave fall late, winter will be severe. They fell late here, that's for sure.

A warm November is a sign of a bad winter. Very warm, it was.

If there is thunder during Christmas week, the weather will be anything but meek. We shall see!

If the first snow falls on unfrozen ground, winter will be mild. Our first snow was on unfrozen ground, so this is a good sign!

a cabin along my road

If a cold August follows a hot July, winter will be cold and dry. Can't say this was true this year; the weather both months was not as hot as usual.

So, what does this portend for you? And the most pressing question: do any of these outweigh the others in importance/significance? Most of the signs for my area point to a bad winter, but there are a few favorable to mild weather.

And of course, the old sayings did not take global warming into account. Perhaps we will need to come up with some predictions of our own now?

Since I like winter and its snow and cold, I'm happy with whatever comes. We can't change it, so the best thing is to hunker down and enjoy the season of quiet and rebirth. And watch to see if the old ones knew what they were talking about!

My house in winter

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Will It Rain for 40 days? Saint Swithin's Day and Other Weather Lore

Happy Saint Swithun's (or Swithin's) Day!

I've just been reading about St. Swithun at the A Clerk of Oxford's site. I didn't know much about Swithin, except this rhyme:

St. Swithin, from Wikipedia

St Swithun's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mare

Oh dear. It dawned fair here, but there were some showers last night. Were they finished before midnight? I don't know. I'd like to have a nice balance of rain and fair, please, Saint Swithin! But how would one do that, given the words of the proverb.

another English rhyming proverb about rain says

The rainbow in the morning
Is the shepherd’s warning
To carry his coat on his back;
The rainbow at night
Is the shepherd’s delight
For then no coat will he lack.

And from Scotland, there is this:

The weather’s taking up now

For yonder’s the weather gaw;

How bonny is the east now!

Now the colors fade awa’.”

Decipher that for me?  This one is more clear to my Western brain:

from wikimedia

If the robin sings in the bush,
Then the weather will be coarse;
If the robin sings on the barn,
Then the weather will be warm.

The wind plays a role in weather we will have rain or not, apparently, so take heed:

James Gillray, c1808

The west wind always brings wet weather,
The east wind cold and wet together,
The south wind surely brings us rain,
The north wind blows it back again.

Whatever the weather, we will have it, whether or no, that's for certain. It looks to be a fair St. Swithin's Day here, and perhaps the grass will dry enough to be mowed this evening. In the meantime, there is a pile of cabbages waiting on me today, so I'll be inside anyway.







Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

So Hot That...

It started with Tony. He put up a post on Facebook about this heat wave. Tony had some pretty descriptive ideas for the heat, which prompted more from his friends. I picked up the idea and started a post on my own Facebook page, inviting people to share their "It's so hot that..." yarns. There were some great submissions, and that made me think I should share them with you. (And that is how some blog posts come about, isn't it? One idea leading to another.)

So here they are, starting with my original post. The names have been removed to protect the innocent:

My friend Tony Toledo posted that it was so hot in his neck of New England that the birds were using potholders to pull the worms out of the ground. I responded with "in WV it's so hot the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs and the potatoes are already baked when we dig them up. So hot the compost heap is turning into coal before our very eyes. So hot the shine makers have changed over to making ice wine."

It's so hot in New Mexico that the green chilis are becoming Chili Rellenos on the vine!

Sad to say it's so dry up here in New Hampshire I used a thimble to empty a pond and I still had room in it for the surviving fish. The frog wouldn't fit, but I took him down to the river. 

It's so hot, I'm sweatin' like a whore in church. 

It is so hot in Ohio that the corn is sweating. (No joke. Corn sweat is a real thing!)

It's so windy here, a chicken laid the same egg four times...

So hot in MA my brain is too fried to think of anything better to quip with...and we are breathing pea soup from the humidity.

It was so hot yesterday, I baked a 2 layer carrot cake in my car.

So hot here in SE Ohio that the maters are already stewed as I pick them from the vine and the oregano is already dried and ready to be stored away for adding to those maters during the winter when I get a hankering for spaghetti!!

So hot here in NC, the watermelons are exploding like bombs in the fields...and this is true! Really messy. No it is true. my neighbor grows a big field of them. if you don't get them out of the field quick when they are ripe, they fester and explode. he gave us three. Two were delicious, but one blew up on the table outside on the porch. OMG the mess to clean up. Seeds on the ceiling. Red melon meat everywhere. And it did not smell too pleasant either. Yes it looked like a slaughterhouse.

It's so hot here in Illinois that our corn on the cob comes pre-popped. (And if you think it can't happen, check out this video.)

So hot that the devil is interviewing our engineers.

So hot that everything upright is now considered a wick.

So hot that in constantly kicking the bedsheets off, I've now trained harder than Michael Phelps.

And it's so hot that Trump comes here to inhale.

"It's so hot the lead melted off my homework."

It's so hot in NE Texas this morning that I almost got mugged by a gecko when I went out with the water hose to spray off the patio.

It's so hot here in NH that lobsters are jumping in pots of boiling water just to cool off. 

The sunflowers have died in SC. True story....mostly due to drought ..

So hot you don't have to iron your clothes. Just lay them out on the porch for ten minutes.

So hot the popcorn popped in the field. The plow mule thought it was snow and froze to death. This is an old south Georgia joke from my childhood. I live in VA now where we have real snow just not right now.

So hot the hot air coming out of the U.S. Capitol feels like air conditioning.

It's so hot, Trump had to take off his wig.

It's so hot here in Ohio, the vegetables out there in my garden have aleady turned into
succotash.

So hot that I just cooked eggs on the top of the car.

In the cool Colorado mountains, it's warm (by your standards). Sometime we call it hot if we're in the sun for too long.

It helps to laugh about it--knowing so many of us are in the same hot boat makes it better somehow.

So, how how is it where you are?


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Dog Days: Sleeping on Bones, Rabies in the Water, and More

I wrote a bit about Dog Days a couple weeks ago, but here's more on this odd topic: my Two Lane Livin' article last month.

It’s hot. Steamy hot, and even the dogs prefer the coolness under the deck to their usual place under the porch ceiling fan. 

We call this time of year Dog Days, generally accepted as those days between July 3 and August 11. But why dog days? 

At our house every day seems like dog days to me-they get treats, they sleep when they like and have their food delivered to them, they get petted and fussed over whenever they want, and they do little if any actual work. Seems like a pretty good life to me!

Originating in the Mediterranean area, the term came into use because the hottest weather of the year usually occurred at the same time of year that the dog star Sirius rose just after sunset as part of the Canis Major constellation.  

Homer, the early Greek poet, wrote that, “Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky On summer nights, star of stars, Orion's Dog they call it, brightest Of all, but an evil portent, bringing heat , And fevers to suffering humanity.”

The ancients associated dog days with evil. Dogs went mad, they claimed, the seas were turbulent, storms were fierce and damaging, and disease spread quickly. Some believed that snakes went blind, wounds would not heal properly and people were generally on edge and cranky.

In England dog days began on Saint Swithin’s Day, July 15^th, and people looked to that date for weather predictions for the next six weeks, which was harvest season. Rain on Saint Swithin’s meant at least 40 more days of rain and bad luck for the crops. “Dog days bright and clear indicate a happy year – but when accompanied by rain, for better times our hopes are in vain.”

A few other strange beliefs connected with dog days: when putting on socks, you should know that you should always put on the left one first, because it prevents getting a toothache (maybe this explains the verse in the song Old Dan Tucker, who dies of a toothache in his heel?). But people believed that the right sock should be put on first on the first of the dog days or else they risked falling and breaking their leg.

You should never let a child sleep on a bone during dog days--very unlucky at this particular time of year. Children should also not be allowed to sleep on a grave and in Texas they were kept out of the sun during dog days for fear that the heat caused strange illnesses. They were warned not to go barefoot either because of potential diseases in the soil.

It is dangerous to go swimming in dog days, people in the Ozarks believed, because the green scum on the water might convey rabies. (Untrue of course, but how did this idea start in the first place?) People did not cut their hair and would put off having surgery during dog days.

Snakes are more likely to strike during dog days, some say, but others contend that snakes are less likely to bite because the heat makes them languid. Dog days were blamed for Cows catching diseases, hogs getting cholera, henhouses becoming lice-infest, tickbites more numerous and all sorts of other unpleasant events.

To sum up: put your socks on correctly, don’t swim in slime-infested water or let your children sleep on bones or graves, get rabies shots for your pets, be mindful of snakes.  You are now forewarned, so go out and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Speaking of the Weather...

Apparently there is quite a storm heading our way this weekend, if the forecasters are to be believed.

I think I may follow the example of Carolyn over at Roundtop Ruminations and watch the birds to see if they begin feeding more heavily in the next few days, an indication of bad weather on the horizon. My husband always says that the deer will be out feeding too, before bad weather, and then disappear as the storm gets closer. For myself, I find that I get very thirsty the day before a snowstorm. I don't know why that should be true, but there it is.

I've written quite a few weather posts over the years I've been keeping this blog, with several about weather folklore. Here are links to some of those posts:

Sundogs? Weather Dogs? Yes indeed. Pogonips too.

January, it seems, could have its own weather book,

But so could November.

How to prepare for winter, according to folklore, anyway.

Winter isn't alone in having lots of weather sayings and beliefs. There are plenty for rain too.


Then are websites that offer more advice for predicting weather by watching the world around you:

Even TV weathermen get into it, apparently.

Tristan Cooley, who runs a natural navigation school and has written several books on the topic, offers an interesting list of lore and fact on his website.

Homesteading blogger Granny Miller has a list of 50 weather signs to watch for on her website, and claims she can just watch her dogs and cats and know what's coming weatherwise.

So let's see how these old-time predictors fare with the coming storm. Will they be accurate? Will they fail? Or will the weather just be the weather, whether we want it or no?


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Get Ready for Winter, the Folklore Way

 Did you know that if sun shines through the apple trees on Christmas day, it will guarantee a large apple crop the coming fall? That’s what the old folklore says. Apparently the sun shone brightly through apple trees last year where I live because there were apples galore this year.  Folklore also says that “the nearer the new moon to Christmas day, the harder the winter.” This year the new moon shown on us on December 2nd, with the next one die on January 1. We might be in for some weather if the January moon is the predicter.

We might also be able to determine the weather for coming months by paying attention to the wind on New Year’s Eve:

If New Year's Eve night-wind blows south, It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea; If north, cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit; If north-east, flee it, man and brute!"

Farmers need to be watchful at calving, because if the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one. We can find out just how bad by counting how many days have passed since the new moon; the number will tell us how many big snowfalls we can expect during the season. And when it does snow, the same thing holds true as it does for rain--if the sun appears during the snowfall, there will be more snow the next day. There is some good that can come of a bad winter however, because a snowy winter is believed to bring a rich summer and fall. Old-timers would say that “a foot of snow will make things grow.” (Thanks to freeirishphotos for this perfect picture.)

Even though we may complain of winter’s cold and snow, almost everyone wants a white Christmas. I like to bring greenery into my house at the holidays; there is nothing prettier than fresh greens on a door or in a window, and snow blowing by outside. The best evergreens to bring into your home at Christmas are holly (the symbol of eternal life), ivy, rosemary, bay leaves and, of course, mistletoe.

Whatever December’s weather may bring there is one thing that is certain, assuming the Mayan calendar does not really predict the end of time: New Year’s Day will come and we will be welcoming in 2012. There are some things you might want to think about when planning your New Year’s celebrations. First, wear something new on New Year’s Day so that you will be more likely to receive new things in the year to come. And be sure you do something related to your work on the first day of the year. This doesn’t mean go to work or start a major project, but do something –and do it successfully—to ensure a good work year ahead.  Hold on to your money, too; don’t pay bills or lend money on January 1, otherwise you are sure to be paying all year long.

Folkloric wisdom is a lot remember if we want to ensure wealth, good weather and good luck by following the old folklore. Perhaps the best thing to do is let the weather and luck take care of themselves and focus on making our lives merry and bright in the coming winter months. I think I'll get back to work on my Christmas decorating. That will surely keep the cold and dark at bay.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Strange Weather

I am thinking about this spring, and how odd it has been. Coltsfoot, that early warning flower that tells us spring is around the corner, usually blooms in late February in my region; it is soon followed by wild plum, with wild cherry quickly following along. The pear tree is usually blooming in late March with the forsythia and daffodils.

This year none of that happened. Here we are in mid-April and still waiting for the apple trees, redbud and dogwood to burst forth. I'm not complaining, I'm just thinking it's....strange.

Last summer after the derecho my asparagus suddenly sent up new shoots. These plants were done for the year, or so I thought, but in late July we had a surprise crop of new asparagus. The amaryllis, which usually only blooms in the winter because I follow the instructions for its care to make that happen, also sent up new blossoms after that terrible storm. And the peppermint, died back completely instead of continuing on to its blossom stage.

All of which makes me wonder: has the weather, and the plants' reaction to it, always been this out-of-whack and I just never noticed? Have I come to expect certain things of nature because that's that way it's always been, or is nature getting a little wild these days and the "usual" patterns becoming disrupted and confusing?

Like many other people, I used to give that knowing smile when old-timers talked about weather and how bad it was back when. Now I'm an old-timer myself--rather surprising, that--and I find myself harking back to what was and comparing what is to my memories of the past. I understand now the mystification of the older ones at some of the changes they could not comprehend. While I can hang on by my toenails to social change (and don't really care if I get behind the times) nature has me bumfuzzled. She's being, at least in my view, mighty tempermental and unreliable.

I am hoping to hear the whippoorwill soon; at least then I can feel fairly sure that freezing weather is past. The redwing blackbird is back, but the snowbirds are hanging on and that makes me nervous. The oaks are leafing out too, and when their leaves are the size of squirrels' ears it is supposed to be safe to plant corn. But with the oddities of the spring weather so far, I am wondering if even these ancient souls can be trusted.

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Sun Dogs, Weather Dogs, Weather Rocks and Pogonips

I am a member of a Facebook group called Appalachian Americans and the other day a lady mentioned "weather dogs." In my innocence, and sure that this was some mountain weather forecasting strategy I had not yet heard, I asked what a weather dog was. Now those of you who know are already splitting your sides laughing I am sure. But for the rest of us who are uninitiated, here is what I learned:

A weather dog can predict the weather, and pretty much any dog can do it. To get his/her prediction, open the door and let the dog in. If the dog is dry, it's not raining. If the dog is wet, it's raining. If the dog is covered in white stuff, odds are it's snowing (unless your dog has paid a visit to the white leghorns in the henhouse). How simple! And, I would wager, a lot more accurate than the Weather Channel.

A weather rock is similar to a weather dog. Anyone can have a weather rock--you don't need to live in the mountains but you must have access to a rock. Place the rock in a position that can be viewed easily from your favorite vantage place and observe. If the rock is dry, it's not raining. If the rock is wet, it's precipitatin'. If you can't see the rock, it's foggy. If the rock disappears under a white blanket, it's snowing. And if you bust your you-know-what going out to check your weather rock, it's probably icy.

Sun dogs or solar parhelia which is their formal name really have nothing to do with the canines we know and love, mountain or otherwise. A sun dog is that odd little rainbow-looking pool of light sometimes seen to the left or right of the sun, and usually when the sun is low in the sky. Sun dogs are caused by light reflecting off ice crystals, but I have seen them in summer too so that seems odd to me. Sun dogs can be very colorful and quite lovely, or might only be a very bright spot. Sometimes (although this is something I've never seen) sun dogs appear on both sides of the sun, giving the appearance of three suns in the sky. Here is an example of a sun dog, from Wikipedia:

You can see other photos here. There are moon dogs as well, occurring in the same way as sun dogs. I do not think I've ever seen one of those.

The ancient Greeks referred to sun dogs in their weather lore; in some cultures the appearance of three suns in the sky caused widespread panic and fear that the world might be coming to an end or some other catastrophe loomed. With no information to know otherwise I can see how such an event could be frightening. You can read the weather lore of the Greek poet Aratus here. He was obviously a man who was a keen observer of the natural world around him. Which probably made him an excellent poet.

And lastly, the Pogonip. I first heard this term several years ago and wrote a post about it because the word fascinated me. I do not think one has ever occurred where I live but I would like to see one sometime because they look absolutely beautiful.You can read what I wrote about the pogonip, and the comments of readers who have experienced this "ice fog" by clicking here. It reminds me in a way of growing crystals  with charcoal, ammonia, salt and bluing.

I wonder what other unusual weather terms are used in various places? Is there something people say in your region that the rest of us might not have heard? Do tell!

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

This Doesn't Look Good

It has rained since Sunday evening. Now the creeks are looking like this:

This is not good. Chances for rain the rest of today are 100%.

It has been a long time since we've had a real flood in Jackson County. I remember floods in past years that devastated homes, businesses and communities. Seven watershed lakes were built to hold back water that caused these floods and they've done a good job. The only downside is that communities behind the dams now see higher water than in the past because the creeks back up as they enter the lakes created by the dams. Still, it's rare now for anyone's home to be flooded, so a little inconvenience is worth it.

But this rain? If it doesn't let up soon, we're in for trouble, I think.

Home looked good after being soaked as I got in and out of the car in town. I don't mind being wet; I just hope the water doesn't ruin anyone's holiday this week.

I wonder, how is the weather folklore holding up to this deluge?

Around here, I have always heard that rain before 7am ends by 11am. That didn't hold true today, but it seems to be true most of the time.

Also, if it's foggy in the morning it's not supposed to rain that day. Not true today.

Frost in the morning? No rain that day. That one was true because it's unusually warm for this time of year, with a high of 65 degrees expected today.

Red sunrise portends rain but the sun was almost invisible as it came up today.

A cat scratching behind its ears means rain on the way too--Charlie is always scratching her ears, though (and always needs dosing for ear mites) so if we went by her activities it would rain daily.

Do you know any other rain lore? Does it vary from one part of the US, or one part of the world, to another?

Stay dry and warm, wherever you are.

November: Weather Predictions

We tend to be a little anxious at the beginning of November, trying to read into all things a sign of what portends for the coming winter.

We're not alone. For centuries people have been trying to divine the same thing. From the book Weather Lore: a Collection of Proverbs, Sayings and Rules Concerning the Weather, compiled by Richard Inwards in 1898, comes this list of things to watch for on November 1, All Saints Day, and throughout the month:

• Ice in November brings mud in December.
• Thunder in November, a fertile year to come. (I heard thunder this evening). Thunder in November on the Northern lakes is taken as an indication that the lakes will remain open till at least the middle of December. 
• As November, so the following March.
• On the 1st of November, if the weather hold clear, an end of wheat sowing do make for the year
• In Sweden there is often about this time some warm weather, called " The All Saints' Rest."
• Farewell, thou latter spring; farewell, thou All Hallow'n Halltwmai summer.—Shakespeare (Prince Henry to Falstaff, i Henry W"' 1*)• IV, i. a).
• If All Saints' Day will bring out the winter, St. Martin's Day will bring out Indian summer.—United States.
• If on All Saints' Day the beech nut be found dry, we shall have a hard winter; but if the nut be wet and not light, we may expect a wet winter.
• If this day be fair, the next winter will bring but little rain and snow along with it; but if the first half of the day be clear and the other cloudy, the beginning of winter will accordingly be fair, but its end and spring will turn out rigorous and disagreeable.

Friends in southwestern Virginia reported a rainbow tonight when snow was falling. I have never seen that, although I have seen thundersnow. I've been searching online to see what predictions might be made about seeing a rainbow when it's snowing but have found nothing. Can anyone contribute information on this?

If you really want to know what's coming, I suppose the best source is still the Old Farmer's Almanac, which already has the 2011 edition out for sale. (I've found that my old injuries are pretty accurate too, for at least the coming day.)

Snow is predicted here tomorrow, and that seems most strange to me, to be looking for snow so early on. Another old saying is that the date of the first measurable snow is the number of snowfalls we will have this year. So tomorrow is November 5th. Will that mean we will only see 5 snows this winter?

I know a lot of people who will be happy if that is the case!



More about November weather:

 

"So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world."
-   John Clare, November

And finally, two poems about November by a husband and his wife seem perfect for another rainy November evening:

November  

by Richard Henry Stoddard, 1825-1903

The wild November comes at last

Beneath a veil of rain;

The night winds blows its folds aside,

Her face is full of pain.

The latest of her race, she takes

The Autumn's vacant throne:

She has but one short moon to live,

And she must live alone.

 November

by Elizabeth Barstow Stoddard, 1823-1902

Much have I spoken of the faded leaf;

Long have I listened to the wailing wind,

And watched it ploughing through the heavy clouds,

For autumn charms my melancholy mind.

When autumn comes, the poets sing a dirge:

The year must perish; all the flowers are dead;

The sheaves are gathered; and the mottled quail

Runs in the stubble, but the lark has fled!

Still, autumn ushers in the Christmas cheer,

The holly-berries and the ivy-tree:

They weave a chaplet for the Old Year's bier,

These waiting mourners do not sing for me!

I find sweet peace in depths of autumn woods,

Where grow the ragged ferns and roughened moss;

The naked, silent trees have taught me this,

The loss of beauty is not always loss!

Red Sky at Morning

Yesterday's morning sky was one of those "I'm going to be late for work" skies, when I had to stop and pull out the camera. The sweep of color was breathtaking, turning trees, roads, and fields a deep shade of maroon in the half-light before sunrise.

Mornings like this make me glad I'm up and out so early. As the month progresses, slowly the sunlight comes earlier and earlier, sure sign of our progression toward Spring. By the end of January, we are all, I think, feeling like winter's grip will never loosen. But the sun's steady increase of minutes is our reminder that all is moving as it should; we may not be able to see it, but underground things are stirring in anticipation.

While this red sky correctly predicted the damp, rainy and in some places icy day ahead, for me it was a signal that we will be seeing green soon enough, and I'd better get out my seed catalogs and get serious about ordering my supply for this year.

Have you ordered your seeds yet? Any suggestions for varieties to try? On Facebook, we talked about the many kinds of tomatoes we like. Several people suggested purple heirloom varieties and I think I may give them a go this year, along with my many standard favorites like Mortgage Lifter, West Virginia striped, yellow pear, Amish Paste, and the 8-10 other kinds we always grow.

I need to know about peppers too? Any recommendations? For the past two years, Lilac peppers have been a huge favorite for me, and last year I tried a variety pack that yielded red, green yellow, orange and purple peppers. That was fun. I usually grow cayenne too, but what am I missing that's a must in your garden?

Whither the Weather?

January

January opens
The box of the year
And brings out days
That are bright and clear.

And brings out days
That are cold and gray,

And shouts, "Come see
What I brought today!"
Leland B. Jacobs

Today the snow is almost all gone after the warmer weather of the past few days, and the rain today. I am sorry to see it go because now we have mud. But the uncovered grass looks green and happy, so perhaps there is some good to come from a winter thaw.

About this time of year, I begin to wonder what we'll be facing weatherwise in the coming months. My oldest son, who is an amateur meteorologist, predicts that we'll have a little warmer weather for the next couple of weeks, and then winter will return in force in February. He's been accurate all winter, so I think he'll be right again.

I browsed online to seek weather wisdom on this month of January.

Here's a few things I gleaned from my ramblings:

Look out for January 25th! Because:

"If Saint Paul's day
be faire and cleare,
It doth betide a happy yeare ;
But if by chance it then should rain,
It will make deare all kinds of graine;
And if ye clouds make dark ye skie,
Then neats and fowles this year shall die;
If blustering winds do blow aloft,
Then wars shall trouble ye realm full oft."
from Ancient Folk Lore.


The above website also includes this intriguing bit of information:

In Alsace there is a common belief that on the evening of this day a fierce contest prevails among the winds, and the wind which proves victorious at midnight ("the devil's dancing hour") will be the prevailing wind throughout the year.

Whoa. This might be worth staying up to observe.


January 25th is actually the day that the conversion of St. Paul is celebrated; there is another "St. Paul's Day in June, according to this website. But the belief in being able to predict the year's weather on this date apparently has older origins:

"It has been an article of constant belief in Western Europe, during the middle ages, and even down to our own time, that the whole character of the coming year is prognosticated by the condition of the weather on this day; and this is the more singular, as the day itself was one of those to which the old prognosticators gave the character of a dies Ægyptiacus, or unlucky day." From The Book of Days.

A few more things you might need to be aware of when considering the future weather:

Sun dogs predict a cold spell.

Fog in January predicts a wet Spring.

The banks of snow in winter will equal the height of the banks of weeds in summer.

In late winter do not knit on the doorstep, as that is known to lengthen the winter.

Thunder in the fall warns of a cold winter.

The nearer the New Moon to Christmas Day, the harder the winter. (when was the new moon in December? If my memory is right, it was mid-month?)

And just for fun, care to guess this riddle?

"From Heaven I fall, though from earth I begin.
No lady alive can show such a skin.
I'm bright as an angel, and light as a feather,
But heavy and dark, when you squeeze me together."

excerpted from a poem by James Parton.


January is a good time to read poetry, because after all, "To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June." - Jean-Paul Sartre

So, here's a poem perfect for this time of year:

From Jack Frost

"The door was shut, as doors should be,
Before you went to bed last night;
Yet Jack Frost has got in, you see,
And left your window silver white.

He must have waited till you slept;
And not a single word he spoke,
But pencilled o'er the panes and crept
Away again before you woke.

And now you cannot see the hills
Nor fields that stretch beyond the lane;
But there are fairer things than these
His fingers traced on every pane."
- Gabriel Setoun (1861-1930)