January Days and Thank You

 It was really good yesterday to have so many comments - I loved them all. Special thank you and "hello" to people who'd not commented before and apologies for not replying individually. My excuse was that I was out at Son and DiL's house with the two grandchildren plus YD and EGD who came over from the coast through the very wet and windy weather (luckily it had stopped raining and blowing by evening going home time) plus BiL came too, we were all there helping to eat up their Christmas food. They are never knowingly under-catered! Now they need more visitors to help eat yesterdays food!

It was a lovely surprise to switch on the lap top when I got in to find 60+ comments, cheered me up no end because coming home after family days is still tough, even if it is the 7th Christmas.

 

It's good to know from Debs that my punctuation is appreciated as I'm not always sure I have apostrophes in the right place! and I know I use far too many exclamation marks!!

So,  here we go into January..................

The January page from 'An Illustrated Country Year' by Celia Lewis

The Anglo Saxons used the name Wulfmonath for January, the month when wolves would be hunting for food. Difficult to imagine that wolves roamed the woods and forests of England, Scotland and Wales back in the 6th Century and it must be the reason the full moon this month was called the Wolf Moon. This year it's on the 13th and was also known as the Moon After Yule and, according to my new book  - Everyday Folklore by Liza Frank, it's also known as the Stay At Home Moon - which, considering tomorrows post is called  'Just Stay In January', is very apt! (Although they may well have made up that moon name, as I've never come across it anywhere else).

January is usually colder than December and this is one of the best known sayings..............

As the day lengthens, so the cold strengthens

Other sayings for the month include.............

                                                   
 

When oak trees bend with snow in January, good crops may be expected.

In January much rain and little snow is bad for mountains, valleys and trees

Mild weather isn't recommended, so it's probably good that the weather forecast is for a spell of colder weather over the next few days. 

 A January spring is good for nothing

January warm, the Lord have mercy

Us gardeners always want good frosts in winter to kill off all the nasties that lurk in the soil. Most years recently our winters just haven't been cold enough.

JANUARY 

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
  Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
  The years that through my portals come and go.

I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow;
  I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow,
  My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.

Longfellow -  Poets calendar

Back Tomorrow

Sue