Through the year on the first of each month, I thought I would share some of the lovely illustrations from my book "A Sparrow's Life's as Sweet as Ours" by Carry Akroyd and John Newman.
My garden is probably too small to ever have a Green Woodpecker visit but I do see one over the road in the new part of the burial ground. The grass was cut there last Autumn and the woodpecker swoops in with his up and down flight and pecks around for a while. It's too far away for a good view but I know its a Green Woodpecker by it's flight and size.
Most of the weather sayings for February are warnings that winter hasn't gone which is why farmers through time have always been told........
In the barn on Candlemas Day
Should be half the straw and half the hay
Two old weather sayings for February 2nd.............
If Candlemas Day be mild and gay,
Go saddle your horses and buy them hay
But if Candlemas Day be stormy and black
It carries the winter on it's back
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will take another flight
If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again.
Beware of a mild February......
A February spring is not worth a pin
According to one book I have, the following is a Somerset proverb - hoping for a good crop for the cider.
If by the 10th the snowdrops are out,
More snow throughout the month without a doubt.
If the sun shines on St. Eulalie's Day,
Tis good for apples and cider they say
There is no Saint Eulalie in my book of Saints but a Saint Eulalia is celebrated on December 10th. There are at least two villages called Sainte-Eulalie in France so it's a puzzle how the weather saying came about.
February can be colder than January if we get East winds and snow, but hopefully any snow will soon go as the sun, when it shines, starts to have a bit of warmth in it.
In Celtic tradition 1st Feb is Imbolc - the festival celebrating lambing time and ewes producing milk and the Anglo-Saxons also made offerings of cakes through the month which they called Solmonath.
I wonder what February will hold for us in 2022, personally I'm looking forward to watching the Winter Olympics, The 6 Nations Rugby and a new crime drama called The Chelsea Detective on TV and maybe getting a few early seeds into the propagator at the end of the month.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
The artwork is just so beautiful, it appeals to me very much, I love the simplicity of it. I've never heard that saying here in Somerset, but then we've only lived here 11 years!
ReplyDeleteThe book is a treat with gorgeous illustrations of her prints and unusual information about the birds too
DeleteSt Eulalia's Day IS December 10 if you're in the orthodox church, but European Catholics celebrate her on February 12th. Tradition has it that when she was martyred (in Barcelona AD 303) a dove flew from her mouth as she died and then a snow storm covered her body. Perhaps the snow gives the weather connection? I think the saying was originally in French.
ReplyDeleteThank you for tracking down that information. The places I looked just kept coming up with details about the villages in France
DeleteI love these old proverbs, Sue. Thank you for the background information on it, Angela.
DeleteLovely illustrations. I saw my first Green Woodpecker when we moved to Suffolk. Do they still refer to them as Yaffle birds locally?
ReplyDeleteWatched Villages by the Sea about Thorpeness the other night. It was so lovely to hear the boatman's Suffolk accent.
It's supposed to be an old Suffolk word but I don't know anyone who says it!
DeleteDid you see my reply to you yesterday re the snowdrops, Sue?
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of St Eulalia but there are so many saints, there mut be so many unknown to most of us.
xx
While you were typing this - I was on your blog typing too!
DeleteI wouldn't want to spoil your winter garden but thank you for the offer.
lol - snap!!
Deletexx
February is also known as Fill-dyke - the month of February when the rain and melted snow fills the ditches to overflowing.
ReplyDeleteFebruary fill dyke, be it black or be it white;
But if it be white it's the better to like.
Old Proverb
My book also says more or less what Angela has said about St Eulalia. Also, Eulalon (ie the sweetly spoken) is one of the names of Apollo.
Is the green woodpecker native to this country? I alway thought that brightly coloured birds, just like the fish, belong to the hotter more exotic places on the globe.
Green woodpeckers are around all year - they are very shy and off like a shot when they see anyone
DeleteI stand corrected. My husband has said that green woodpecckers are quite common here. I must live in a bubble, lol.
DeleteI always think that February is a treacherous month and I don't trust it an inch!
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I was a childminder and had a house full of children at Feb half term the weather was always cold and horrible!
DeleteWhat fun these proverbs have been. So sad that here, our February is decided by a mere rodent. I much prefer ponding old words that evoke the ghosts of saints and old ways.
ReplyDeleteI love all the old sayings even though most of them never work
DeleteHappy February first we are sunny and cold in New Hampshire with snow on the ground. We have another storm coming in on Thur night to Friday. I hope it is all snow the rain this time of year for us is just an icy mess.
ReplyDeleteI love the illustrations.
cathy
Hope spring soon arrives for you too.
DeleteI didn't know there was a February 2nd tradition anywhere else but in the US -- they say (with no basis in fact) that if the groundhog emerges from hibernation and sees its shadow that means 6 more weeks of winter! We got 24 inches of snow on Saturday so I am already sick of being cold (although luckily did not lose power).
ReplyDeleteMy best friend when I was 12 belong to a St. Eulalia parish so I have been to church there after sleepovers. I never knew the legend surrounding her although I often try to get my brother saint-a-day calendars. We are big on saints in my family! Saint Constance is a very obscure martyr, unfortunately.
The book of Saints that I have has already proved itself wrong with a painting so it's not the best of books!
DeleteThis year Feb. 1st is Chinese New Year - the year of the tiger. Happy New Year, Sue!
ReplyDeleteAnd to you.
DeleteMy Radio Times has just arrived and it's all sports, sports, sports. I'm a total sport phobic but at Least Alan can watch The 6 Nations in his own living room now and I can continue binging on Netflix in mine. No more being banished to the bedroom and the tiny television. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy Radio Times has just arrived and I'm excited by all the sport!
DeleteHaha ... I thought you might be :-)
DeleteToday I read it is Chinese New Year and the year of the tiger. Good things are supposed to happen and it is recommended not to clean your house because you push out pending good luck. This made me laugh. Good thing I vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor yesterday! The birds are wonderful to watch and I've never seen a green woodpecker. I see small gray woodpeckers and larger black ones with red on their wings.
ReplyDeleteYes, I read that too so now I have a new excuse for ignoring the floor-cleaning today! :)
DeleteNo good luck has been pushed out by cleaning here today!
DeleteI've heard the green woodpeckers laughing in the trees behind our house so Spring is definitely starting to stir. Arilx
ReplyDeleteI saw a green woodpecker over in Christchurch Park once. I was so excited to be able to get a photo of it.
ReplyDeleteI love the February poems. Over in America there is Groundhog Day which I think is tomorrow. Apparently it's sort of a take on Candlemas Day. If the Groundhog sees his shadow it will mean six more weeks of winter, if he doesn't it will mean an early spring. Not sure how many years it's actually correct lol. But it's one of those fun superstitions.
My favorite up there: a February spring isn't worth a fig. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the wonderful information. I appreciate it very much.
ReplyDeleteCock Fighting Online_មាន់ជល់តាមអនឡាញ
Game Fish Shooting_ហ្គេមបាញ់ត្រី អនឡាញ
Nice picture in book you shared. It was a bit cold this morning in Oregon. Some sunshine amongst clouds when leaving a town where I had a pedicure/haircut and shopping after lunch. February is my favorite month as a birthday for me and sister and friend. Hopefully no ice storm like last Feb. Some of my plants are looking good now! Yeah! Have a good week!
ReplyDelete