On March 1, I can always remember people saying, "In like a lion, Out like a lamb." The adage is much older than my time. In fact, the earliest it can be traced back is to the 1200's. Nobody knows it's origin. It's one of those adages that has just come along with the language.
I wasn't very old when I became skeptical about the truth of the statement. I began to wonder about it's accuracy and if records had been kept. In my little head it seemed like one of those statements that are in the language but do not have a lot of validity. There are many other statements to do with the weather. Red skies at night... Red skies in the morning...A moon phase where the moon is turned up enough to hold water...frost is more likely with a full moon. Now some of these have been proven to have some scientific validity . In others their source can be traced and the source offers some sense.
Now what really bothers me about the March statement is : what defines a "lion " day and what defines a"lamb" day. Today at sunrise it was clear and calm. By 10:00 AM there was a brisk wind and some snow. By 5 :00 PM the wind had died down and the skies had cleared. I'm sure that there would be many arguments as to which kind of day this would be. Is it an average of the day? Is it the noon conditions?
Now another thing. To my dismay I have found that some people fervently believe in this adage. They are serious. The Farmer's Almanac records and reports the event. And who's going to disagree with farmers and their almanac? Don't mess with them. They will have a melt down if you suggest it's hokey. I know I live with one of these.
Now I may be a bit of a spoil sport about March 1. I may be a trouble maker. But I am big enough to hope that everybody had a good Mar. 1 and that what ever the weather was, it turns out to be a good March and spring month.
Yes I too am guilty of repeating that adage. It appeals to children. Well we haven't had much of a winter here, I'm in total spring mode you can' even trust a groundhog.
ReplyDeleteYou've got my drift with the ground hog comment. Kids do like this stuff as well as a good many adults.
ReplyDeleteMy great aunts and my mother...used it both ways...if March came in stormy (lion) it was going to go out calmly (lamb), if it came in calmly it was going to go out stormy. Of course I'm thinking they must not have been looking at the same lambs I did who were running around helter/skelter all over the place and in a group no less. I'm the one who used to read "at" the almanac...actually I liked the almanac cause it had some good recipes in it. Never used it for planting advice!
ReplyDeleteThere is more to the Farmer's Almanac that appears on the surface. Apparently they have massive records and use methods they have developed to make their predictions.
DeleteThis one always seems to turn out the opposite in our area. Generally it is in like a lamb and out like a lion with tornado season arriving here at the end of March. This is scary season for those of us in tornado alley.
ReplyDeleteYou have had some very severe weather lately. It's also too early for that kind of stuff.
DeleteDo they take Leap Day into account? It's funny that we make up the calendar and then we make up these sayings and live by them. I had to laugh at your description of March 1 in your parts. Our day was quite lamb-like and I'll pay attention to the end of the month, but to get all bent out of shape when things don't turn out like you think they should! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you've noticed that outdoor people like yourself have a totally different perspective on weather. Here we say, "If you don't like the weather, wait twenty minutes."
DeleteI love these adages. I don't accept them as valid statements.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I have to laugh at "It's too cold to snow." I lived in Ft. St. John for a few months. In January 1988 it stayed at -40C or colder for two weeks straight and snowed hard every day.
The adages are fun because there usually is some element of truth in them . Sometimes there origin is interesting. Some of the people from other ages had a different perspective on weather than we do.
DeleteI'm not sure if it came in like a lion or a lamb here.....the winter was SO mild and March 1st seemed cold to me......but compared to last year it was VERY nice. I don't agree with most of the old adages but I know not to argue with those that do.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you again Linda. Our spring may not be much this year. I have blundered into a few hot discussions where I should have known better. I always want to know if the calving has started. Your are usually later.
DeleteUs snow bound wintery people have to talk about something in March:)
ReplyDeleteWe are farming here. Had a bit of a wild start weather wise, but it's warming up nicely. Terry is on the tractor as I write
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
You can't keep a good man off his tractor! We won't be on any land until mid to end April. You will be all finished and watching the corn come up.
ReplyDelete