Where I worked in Northern Canada, the snow came to stay around the third week in October. ‘Break-up’ arrived at the end of March the following year, bringing with it an end to six months of snow-banks and dazzling white landscapes.
My Spanish sojourn in La Zenia gave me 320 days of sunshine in the year. Most expats live in Spain for that same sunshine – and fair play to them. Lying on the beach studying cloud-formation is the ultimate relaxation for a great number of people. Same as there are folks in Canada drawn to the snow-covered regions to enjoy snowmobiling, skiing, skating, hunting and ice-fishing.
Man is undoubtedly the most adaptable animal on Planet Earth. Even in my own little world, I have managed to live through 40® below in Canada and 40® above in Spain. Now, this is as good a place as any to insert the line that I don’t want to live anywhere with 40 degrees either way. Nor do I wish to ever be located where hazardous weather extremes are so severe that it seriously endangers life.
The deadly tornado which razed parts of Kentucky and half a dozen other US states last week, is one more compelling reminder of how blessed we are to live in a temperate climate in Ireland. One of the things I love most about Ireland are the four seasons and the ever-changing variance of the days that make up our year.
Yes, I know we talk about the weather too much: We complain about it, ridicule RTE weather forecasters, and are forever apologising to foreign visitors for being so unlucky to find themselves here on a wet day.
STOP IT! …. The facts are that we are privileged to be living in ‘God’s garden!’ Every one of our four seasons has its own unique benefits and pleasures. Even the darkest depths of winter has much to offer – so let us start there…
This week we welcome the shortest day of the year and you are sure to hear somebody complain that they ‘hate the long nights.’ I don’t; maybe because it is a time to slow down and rest my body. I love the cosiness of the house on a winter’s night. Sure, winter is barren and devoid of life in the great outdoors, but we know it won’t be long before the hibernating flora and fauna will overcome the dark winter landscape.
I am not a 320 days of sunshine man – and maybe that is because I get bored with sameness. The four seasons of my home place constantly bring new sounds, feelings and smells. There is always something to look forward to, but I wonder is the downside of looking forward is that we wish a lot of the present away? As soon as we cross over into January, how long will it be before someone remarks to you; ‘you won’t find until there is a stretch in the evenings!’ Like I said, I love the changing seasons and I do try to live in the ‘now.’
In my younger days we had the pleasure of seasonal foods, but nowadays, with so much of our fruit and veg imported, eating seasonal fare is not so much a part of what we are.
When you live on a farm, the seasons mean far more to us and are more pronounced. Right now, is there anything more therapeutic than just standing there and watching contented cows eating silage? Or sheep grazing away, oblivious to the crazy man-made world around them?
February is just around the corner and soon the Earth begins to take notice. Snowdrops and primroses will chance sticking their necks out of the ground. Lambs will go ‘buck-lepping’ around the field and the signs are up that life is starting all over again. There is something so up-lifting in spring that it invigorates the human heart.
The 30 days of April always seem to me to pass in a blur. May, and the early start of summer is such a lovely fresh period of the year. Everywhere is new life and this is all before the weeds decide to take us on, and remind us that nothing in life is absolutely perfect.
Autumn used always be a time of ‘gathering in’ and maybe the most satisfying season of all. In the long ago, the turf-shed would be filled; turnips and mangolds ‘pitted’ and before there were hay-sheds, the cocks and reeks of hay in the haggard gave total reassurance against whatever the wicked winter might throw up against man and beast.
It never mattered how bad the winter came, as long as we had sufficient ‘food and fire. ’Now they give us colour warnings to tell us how bad the day is, and every strong breeze has a name. ‘Yellow, Orange or Red’ … we will be Ok, because, thank God, there are no life-threatening tornados here. Even the red alert is nothing worse than what used to be a ‘hoor of a day’!!
Don’t Forget
The highest values are priceless.
