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Ducks at Martinmas

 I should have written this yesterday but yesterday turned out to be a bit pants and I ended up watching the third in the series of Bridget Jones films instead. But a bit of retrospect never hurts so here I am ready with some Martinmas drivel, albeit a day late.

Yesterday, 11th November, was Martinmas. And, according to the following rhymes, one can predict what the weather will be at Christmas based on what the ducks do (be-do-be-do) on Martinmas. Given the parlous state of official weather forecasting in this country, I view this poetic method just as valuable and probably as accurate as the whole ‘scientific’ attempts by the Meteorological Office and, even worse, the BBC who clearly base their forecasts on the state of a piece of seaweed and a pine cone. 

Here we go, then. A Christmas weather forecast according to St Martin, patron saint of beggars, drunkards and the poor:

“If ducks do slide at Martinmas

At Christmas they will swim

                                                              If ducks do swim at Martinmas

                                                               At Christmas they will slide.”

Or, if you prefer, this version:

                                                    “Ice before Martinmas enough to bear a duck

                                                       The rest of Winter is sure to be but muck.”

Now, when I took Nell out for her walk yesterday, we went to a farm and, as it happened, we saw a couple of ducks. They were on a pond and when they saw us approach, they took off up into the air with far more a-quacking and a-hoo ha than I thought was strictly necessary. Also, the farm walk was full of mud and muck, and wasn’t hugely pleasant for it either. The sun was shining though, and the sky was a striking blue, and even better there was no one else around which suited my introvert hermitism very well indeed. Definitely no ice enough to bear the weight of a duck, though. Not a dot of ice was in sight.

Therefore, I predict, based on very precise data analysis involving ducks, that come Christmas we are in for frost, ice and maybe a bit of snow. I’m happy with this because I am fed up now with all the rain, mizzle, mud, muck, sludge, fog and general dampness of air. And I’m living in a part of England that’s not had it too bad (thank you, Cheshire gap effect!).

It’s raining again now. Fortunately, I took Nell out for her walk before it arrived so she only got wet up to her arm pits and leg pits, thanks to the residual wetness and mud on our route. I have no specific plans for today because of my residual low mood from yesterday but I’m mid-way through a Giles Brandreth autobiography so might crack on with that because it is a very entertaining read. 

Here is St Martin, helping a beggar by giving him his cloak. Not a duck in sight.



Comments

Anonymous said…
The science says it’s probably going to be a wet winter. Although they can’t entirely rule out the possibility of a sudden stratospheric warming which, paradoxically, means there could be a cold snap. Like you I’m inclined to think nobody really knows anymore and we should just prepare for everything. Quite possibly all at once.
🦆
12 November 2023 at 19:33
Denise said…
Yesterday, the weather forecasters gave heavy rain for this area. What transpired was sporadic light drizzle. Best just to stick one’s head out of the door and see if one’s hair gets wet.
13 November 2023 at 07:36
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