As you know, I was home at the weekend. And if you don’t know why don’t you know? And home, as you all also know[1] is Sligo. And it struck me, as I was journeying on the train, how when you live in the city the seasons don’t really make an impact. Apart from having to wear a heavier coat[2] or bring an umbrella with you. Actually, I suppose it’d have a bigger impact if you lived somewhere with huge seasonal variation, you know, like America and its huge falls of snow. So what I’m saying is, living in a temperate climate, in a city, the passing of the seasons doesn’t have all that much of an impact on your life. You get disconnected because it doesn’t really matter that Spring is here because the weather is still cold and a little on the rainy side, and pretty much just like it was last month.
But on the train, looking out the window it was clear that the season has changed, and that spring is here.
Now I know that with modern farming you’ll get calves born in September, but seeing a whole herd of lickle calves out and about in the field means that it is spring. Being home and seeing the normally mountain-living sheep down in the nearby fields means that it is spring.
Okay, so I didn’t see any bouncing lambs about[3] but there were snowdrops and daffodils, and the cat catching birds again for the first time since last autumn. Okay, maybe that last example isn’t really spring-like and bursting with new life, but you know what they say; you gotta break some eggs to make an omelette.[4]
So I have decided, that from now on, this blog shall adopt the month of Feb. as the month of the new year. Enough of this end of Dec nonsense. Let the rest of the world’s population[5] celebrate 1st Jan as the new year, I think that the start of spring is a much more sensible thing. Them olden days people with their Imbolc had the right idea.
Please note, me stating this does not mean I shall remember it next year. Nor does it mean that the end of Dec will not be marked. After all, I’ve never really brought up the digestive biscuit again now have I.
- do keep up at the back ↩
- which reminds me, I bought a new coat. It is only lovely. Or at least I thought so when i tried it on, hopefully I’ll think the same again. ↩
- if I had they’d’ve been rain sodden rather than bouncing, but nevermind ↩
- I never said that they made sense, or were really relevant now did I? ↩
- apart from those that don’t, like the Chinese ↩
Interesting post. It made me think about things in a new way. Does the coat have a colour, or is it black? Is it a winter coat or a spring coat? SHARE!
Do we also have to worship at your feet the whole month? Since, you know, it's Fenceuary and all?
NM: The coat has both the colour white and the black. I shall put it in front of your eyes this evenink.
Anne: In your heart and minds yes, but I require only the one visible day a year :)
Nooo! Not mine eyes! They burrrrrrrn! I cannot look upon the coat of the Fence and not be scarred. Aieeee!
Fine so. I'll leave it in the wardrobe to protect your oh so precious eyes
The Feb 1st date would've worked for us in the Midwest this year because despite it being winter it felt like spring!
One of the books I'm reading, Ireland by Frank Delaney, mentions Sligo. I felt so smart because I KNEW a little about Sligo.
I thought that was cool.
What does it say Heather? Anything interesting? It doesn't mention minkers does it? ;)
Minker is roughly equivalent to chav, which actually probably means nothing to those not from the UK or Ire.
I saw a little lamb in Wicklow. I was quite surprised by it. I'm not lamb expert, but given the size and the way it didn't seem quite familiar with its own legs, I'd say it was quite young, couple of days at most.
Ann, if only your name was Mary we could've had a poem ;)
Lambing season does begin around now.