99 WORDS...AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
Looking out the window at the lazy snow flakes settling in the grass; at this time of year it might be snow or rain. Glancing at the calendar, she wasn’t surprised to see the moisture. A note written on today’s square told her precipitation was expected. Sure enough, the old ways her grandmother had ingrained in her held true once again. No need to listen to the radio, TV, or check an app to know if moisture should happen. Her weather report: record the foggy days, count out 90 days, make the note FOG90 in the appropriate calendar square.
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Carrying the history and traditions forward from previous generations is a passion of mine. The old way of making notes like Fog or Feb Fog on the calendar continues, at least in our family. In generations past, and current, the knowledge there will be some form of precipitation, be it snow or rain, at certain times of the year, can be a bonus.
Think about it, those who lived before radio, television, and cell phones needed a way to tell them what was going to happen in the weather department. Who did they turn to? Nature and keeping information in journals &/or notes on calendars. These notes included the weather patterns and paying attention to animals and birds. I talked about this in articles I wrote in 2016 - Old Timers Prediction, and again in 2018 - The Weather Forecaster.
For example, consider the month of May as the time to plant the garden; however, if there was a lot of fog during the month of February, your planting strategy might need to be reviewed. You will most likely want to put seeds in the ground before the 90-day note on the calendar. This gives the seeds the needed moisture to germinate; you are less likely to have to plant them in mud, or have to wait until the ground dries out some, so you can actually put the seeds in the ground.
It is my experience that the lack of fog in the first quarter of the year can affect the moisture expected during the growing season. Of course, fog in the second quarter could mean that moisture might affect the harvest season.
Does this form of telling the weather hold true 100% of the time? No; but it’s close enough to make me record the foggy days on my calendar. Besides, it makes for interesting conversation and it’s surprising how many people I have told this to, now do it.
This is not the first time I have written about the old ways. The funny thing is, that I mention the old timers thinking about my parents and their parents when I do. In a recent conversation, I mentioned old-timers, stopped, laughed, and proudly said, “I guess now I would be considered one of the old-timers.”
How do you keep track of weather happenings?
Think about it, those who lived before radio, television, and cell phones needed a way to tell them what was going to happen in the weather department. Who did they turn to? Nature and keeping information in journals &/or notes on calendars. These notes included the weather patterns and paying attention to animals and birds. I talked about this in articles I wrote in 2016 - Old Timers Prediction, and again in 2018 - The Weather Forecaster.
For example, consider the month of May as the time to plant the garden; however, if there was a lot of fog during the month of February, your planting strategy might need to be reviewed. You will most likely want to put seeds in the ground before the 90-day note on the calendar. This gives the seeds the needed moisture to germinate; you are less likely to have to plant them in mud, or have to wait until the ground dries out some, so you can actually put the seeds in the ground.
It is my experience that the lack of fog in the first quarter of the year can affect the moisture expected during the growing season. Of course, fog in the second quarter could mean that moisture might affect the harvest season.
Does this form of telling the weather hold true 100% of the time? No; but it’s close enough to make me record the foggy days on my calendar. Besides, it makes for interesting conversation and it’s surprising how many people I have told this to, now do it.
This is not the first time I have written about the old ways. The funny thing is, that I mention the old timers thinking about my parents and their parents when I do. In a recent conversation, I mentioned old-timers, stopped, laughed, and proudly said, “I guess now I would be considered one of the old-timers.”
How do you keep track of weather happenings?
| Ann Edall-Robson Author, Photographer, Lover of Life "Capturing moments others may never get to experience.” |
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August 22, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the arrival of the weather. It can mean any kind of weather event meteorological or mythological. Is the weather personified, random, or calculating? Where does it arrive? Is it typical or epoch-changing? Who is involved? And if the Womam Who Doesn’t Want Red Hair shows up, well, ask her what’s happening. Go where the prompt leads!
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