More on the weather

Other predictions

I thought it would be a good idea to have a look to see if I could add to Michael’s weather predictions. Some of these are tried and tested, others are open to interpretation.

• Seagull sit on the sand, it’s never fine weather when you’re on the land.
• Scarlet pimpernel flowers are sensitive to changes in the air, opening when it is dry but closing when it accumulates moisture, presently to be discharged as rain.
• If bubbles form in puddles and float for a little while, rain will persist. If no bubbles form or they burst immediately, rain will pass.
• When the cows are laying down in the field it will likely rain.
• Circle around the moon, rain or snow soon.
• Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Or:
• Red sky at night, sailors delight.
• Red sky at night, shepherds delight
• red sky in the morning shepherds warning
• When the leaves on a tree curl or show the underside it is going to rain
• "Mackerel scales lower the sails." (Mackerel scales is referring to the look of the clouds, it is going to get windy.)
• Check the grass for dew at sunrise. If the grass is dry, this indicates clouds or strong breezes, which can mean rain. If there's dew, it probably won't rain that day.
• Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and smell the air.
1. Plants release their waste in a low pressure atmosphere, generating a smell like compost and indicating an upcoming rain.
2. March ground will release gasses just before a storm because of the lower pressure, which leads to unpleasant smells.
3. A proverb says "Flowers smell best just before a rain." Scents are stronger in moist air, associated with rainy weather.
• If the cattle are heavy coated, it is going to be a hard winter.
• The day of the month of the first snowfall will determine how many times it will snow that year. This number includes flurries.
• Winter will be cold or mild based on how thick the husks are on the years corn crop.
• When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.
• Teeth, knees, hands, joints hurt. Some people swear they can predict rain based on their aches and pains. This could be due to a fall in barometric pressure, which causes blood vessels to dilate slightly, enabling a storm to affect everything from bones and joints to muscles and sinuses.

I’m sure there are loads more ways people have found to predict the weather. I’m thankful were in a country that needs predictions. Wouldn’t it be a bit boring if we had sunshine all of the time?

Thawing

Bursting out all over

Last week’s thaw gave us a bit more than beautiful winter colours back to the hillsides. We woke up on Boxing Day morning to find that the hot water pipe in the garage had sprung a leak, covering the floor with four inches of water (yes I did measure it) Water was gushing out from behind the sink. As Julie swept waves out of the door, I unscrewed the cupboards from the wall to inspect the damage. The last few inches of the pipe is a metal flexible end to bend towards the taps. You would think that this type of pipe was immune to freezing conditions, but it’s just as susceptible as copper piping as it has a rubber tube running through it which must have expanded with the ice and cracked. Doubting anywhere was open, and that plumbers mobile phones would be engaged until spring; I decided to do a quick fix. I bent the pipe over to stop the flow of water and got out the trusty Duck Tape to keep the pipe in place. We were lucky, If the burst had been in the attic it would have been a costly fix, or if we had gone away for the week....

After the freeze

Looking at the garden after the freeze is always interesting. Some plants and shrubs thrive on the covering and the insulation that snow brings. Think about how alpine plants cope up on their native mountain screes. They love the snow and could happily live under it until spring. It’s the constant wet and poor drainage conditions that kill these plants off. Grass soon picks up; it looks very sorry for itself but bounces back. Our cordyline seems a bit flattened too as do the broccoli and kale plants, although I don’t think there’s any serious damage as the snow acted as an insulator.

Furniture

Our decking and garden furniture are not doing too well. Although I coated them with preservative earlier in the year they are still deteriorating fast. We have a slippery layer of green algae outside of the patio doors and the frost has got into the table and chairs from cracks in the varnish. In hindsight it would be advisable to put the furniture indoors in winter. It’s not as handy to move the decking into the shed so I have put a vinegar solution with salt onto the planks to kill off the slippery substance. Bleach works just as well, but I was thinking of the puppy’s paws, he tends to help me with everything when I’m outside. Bleach is handy if you have plastic furniture. Plastic furniture is pretty weather resistant but it does build up a layer of gunge and can get discoloured. Try mixing a couple of tablespoons of washing up liquid into four spoons of bleach. Wear rubber gloves and wipe all of the affected surfaces with a cloth. Leave it for half an hour then rinse off. The colour will be restored and the chairs will be ready for the sunshine.

Water for the birds

We had a lot or response about caring for the birds in winter. Here are a few replies.
“There is always water available in guttering. Except in the most severe weather, the south facing roof will always thaw during the day providing water for the birds. What birds need most is cover from the weather and predators. So every garden should have at least one evergreen shrub. Also the leaf litter below shrubs is usually free of frost so iI put a chopped apple there for the robin and his fellow thrushes.

“I have put a pot saucer on some bricks and put a candle underneath; this helps to keep water free from ice.”


“I come from Estonia where temperatures below zero are normal. I have never heard anyone here trying to give water to birds in winter; it is pointless, as it will freeze in a moment. There is, however, one important thing to remember, do not give anything salted to birds: no ham or minced meat (because there is salt in it). If you give fat or sunflower seeds or something else to birds, make sure that it is not salted, otherwise the birds will die of thirst.”

“I have watched birds in my garden eating snow to avoid thirst, and this must bring their body temperatures down, when I do melt and top up the bird bath it is quickly used by sparrows, blue tits, robins and many others, so I do think it’s worthwhile to keep doing this in cold snaps, especially if they have already come to rely on you.”

“It’s a full time job keeping the birds fed at this time of the year up here in Inishowen. Robins, blue tits, starlings, pigeons, jackdaws, sparrows and blackbirds all appreciate seeds, unsalted peanuts, fat balls, seeded bread, corn, mince. This year they are very keen to bathe which surprised us given how chilly snow-covered everything is at present. I expect their plumage needs particular attention in order to help with insulation.”

Traditional weather signs

When I was younger, I was told that pine cones could forecast the weather as they change shape according to whether it is wet or dry. In dry weather, pine cones open out as the scales shrivel up and stand out stiffly. When it is damp, they absorb moisture and as the scales become flexible again, the cone returns to its normal shape. I used to keep a fir cone near my back door and they were pretty reliable. Nature is good like that and can give us far more indications of the weather, not only for that day, but for the whole year. Problem is that most of us have lost the art of seeing the signs.

One person keeping the old tradition of weather forecasting going is Michael Gallagher from Glenfin. Michael’s forty years as a postman has given him an opportunity to meet some of the older people (particularly from the Croaghs) who still know a thing or two about predicting the weather.

In the past, people in rural Ireland, who depended so much on the weather for sowing, reaping and harvesting of crops had a fairly reliable system of their own to predict the weather. They understood that all life on earth depended on the sun so they looked to the sun and planets, wind and water, bird and beast which all depended on the sun, for guidelines. The heavenly bodies were studied very carefully by our forefathers for any changes in the weather.

Michael explains that the outline of mountains against the horizon and their ever-changing hues from day to day portrayed to the people of the Croaghs the type of weather that could be expected. “A blue haze on them meant heat, while mist meant rain. The outline of Cruach na mBoc or Gaigin appearing further away in the distance meant fair weather.”

It wasn’t just the mountains that were a signal of weather conditions. Frogs, insects, bats, bees, butterflies, birds and animals by their outward appearances, moods or movements, indicated the weather that could be expected in the days or weeks ahead. The cat was regarded in ancient Egypt as sacred, but in the Cruacha it was regarded as prophetic as regards weather.

The moon played an important part in predicting weather. The moon in all its phases was a great weather guide for the past generations. A far ring on the moon meant a storm near hand while a ring near the moon meant a far away storm. If the weather does not change at the beginning of any phase of the moon it means it will not change for the duration of that quarter. Also the first quarter of the New Moon follows the same pattern of weather as the last quarter of the old moon. In winter and early spring if the New Moon makes her appearance on the second or third day and appears like a small silvery crescent with upturned ends, it foretells frost and snow for the duration of the moon. If the moon appears to be racing behind the clouds that means wind and storms aren’t far away.

Birds

Michael also found that people looked to birds and insects for indications of weather patterns to come. “Our feathered friends are most sensitive to changes, and people who study them minutely can foretell changes in weather conditions.

The wren, robin, sparrow or finch seen washing and preening their feathers in a pool of water is a sign of fine weather. If Willy wagtails can be seen fluttering about street or farmyard, heavy rain may be expected.

Robin Redbreast

The robin flies near the house and into the barn when snow is forthcoming, but she flies in on the open door, a heavy fall of snow is fast approaching. If the robin sings in the evenings in spring or summer, rain is sure to come on the morrow.

Ducks

Ducks waddling is a sign of wind. When ducks stay out in the rain, it’s a sign that it won't fair all day!

Hens

Hens picking themselves are a sign of rain.

Magpies

As for magpies, when they gather together and chatter loudly, this means storm and rain.

Insects

Insects, slugs, butterflies, bees and frogs are sensitive to changes of weather. Worms, crawling on the road or on the surface of the ground, is a fore-bringer of rain, but, if seen crawling on the doorstep, look out for floods. During cold and inclement weather in autumn, if black horse-worms can be seen crawling on roads or walls, a good warm spell of weather can be expected. Slugs and caterpillars crawling on wallsteads, forecast rain in the near future. Ants, known as flying ants, or 'Siongain eiteogach' in Irish, when seen flying in multitudes and settling on window-sills, railings, ledges, or even on roofs and bonnets of cars, are a sure sign of approaching rain. A sting from a flying ant can be very painful, and, the more painful it is, the nearer the rain. Spiders, patiently threading their webs outside doors and windows presage bad weather, but, when they weave their webs on tops of rushes or whin bushes in early Spring, good weather is on the way.”

Buy the book

Michael has amassed a lifetimes worth of knowledge for local weather predictions and has wisely catalogued all of the stories, tips and advice in his new book ‘Tuar na hAimsire - Traditional Weather Signs’. You can order a copy from his website www.michaelgallagher.ie. It is great that old wisdom is not dying out but thanks to Michael it is accessible to a new generation. Perhaps if I had bought the book earlier, I would have got some snow chains in time for the big freeze.

NEW INISHOWEN GIY GROUP

 

l-r. Donal Doherty, Michael Kelly, John Hamilton, The Doherty/Donnelly family and Bev Doherty.

I’m walking into Harry’s Bar in Bridgend. It’s not often I venture out into bars, but tonight is something a bit special. It’s the first meeting of the new Inishowen GIY (Grow It Yourself) group. The GIY movement was started in 2008 by Irish Times Journalist and author Michael Kelly as a non profit making venture in Waterford. The idea is help people find out more about growing their own produce and has quickly spread nationwide with over 80 groups forming around the country.
The bar is packed, I know a few familiar faces such as radio gardening expert Gareth Austin, gardening gurus; Willie Grant , Bev Doherty and Colm Grant, as well as others I haven’t met before, all with the common interest of growing their own produce and in some cases rearing their own livestock in Inishowen.
Michael taps his glass and introduces himself to the 50 or so people in the room. “I’m no gardening expert,” he begins humbly. “In fact my first attempt at looking after plants ended in disaster when I managed to kill off some very old bonsai trees. “ (That’s not that difficult I can assure you, keeping a plant in a tiny container and cutting off its tap root is best left to obsessive fanatics.)

How GIY began

Michael continues to tell us how the idea for GIY began. “About eight years ago I bought a garlic bulb from a supermarket. I had got used to the fact that these bulbs had been grown in Spain or Portugal, but this one I picked up was grown in China. I couldn’t believe that this item, which cost less than 50 cent, had been shipped 5000 miles across the world. I got on my high horse and decided to grow some for myself. I took the bulb home, divided up the clove and planted them in the garden.
The cloves were then ignored and neglected, but that didn’t stop them sending up green shoots, which eventually fell over and withered away. I thought the plants had died so I started to dig the brown shoots out. To my surprise the single cloves had grown into fabulous bulbs. “
This realisation that plants instinctively want to grow inspired Michael to want to learn more about the art of growing his own. “I was impatient and tried to find local groups to join but as there was nothing in my area, I decided to set up a small group locally.”
The first meeting was in Michael’s local library. He set out ten chairs for a small gathering. 100 people turned up and the enthusiasm was contagious.
In just two years the idea has spread throughout the country. To date 6000 people have joined the local groups, with Inishowen being the latest group to sign up, lead by Donal Doherty, the proprietor of Harry’s Bar.
“People came to that initial meeting for different reasons.” Michael explains, “It could be that the recession was forcing people to rethink their spending and grow for financial savings. There were people who had money but also had time on their hands, people who worry about getting good healthy, nutritious food and also people who liked the exercise that gardening gives you.”

Well travelled

Michael bought a few vegetables on his way up the country earlier in the day and showed us a pack of tomatoes (from Morocco) some mixed red peppers (from Holland) and some grapes (from Brazil). “The combined food miles for these basic vegetables, is about 13000 miles.” Micheal tells us. “I was on the Sean Doherty show this morning and he asked me if this was just the ‘Global Village’ we now have and expect with food. I had to disagree. The statistics don’t add up. We import 5 billion euro worth of food a year into Ireland and export 7 billion euro. The most ridiculous fact is that Ireland imports exactly the same amount of onions as it exports. Now where’s the logic in that? Ships are passing each other in the oceans with the same products on them?”
There were more statistics for us. “In the 1980’s 35% of our disposable income was spent on food. Now that amount has reduced to 17-18%. (You might find it interesting to know that here in Ireland we spend the same amount of our income on mobile phone charges as we do on food.”
Of course Michael is here to welcome Inishowen to the GIY fold and doesn’t dwell on the negatives. This is a positive movement to nurture locally grown produce, reducing our dependency on imports and benefit from a community spirit.

Michael’s Top Ten

Michael is keen to tell us his top ten favourite vegetables for growing.
“Tomatoes, potatoes (early ones like Orla or Sarpo) peas, garlic, leeks, herbs, salad crops, (which can be grown all year round), courgettes( one of the most prolific and easy crops to grow) cucumber (you can get 40 from just one plant), leaf beet, fruit bushes and an apple tree.” Observant counters amongst you will notice there are 12 in the list, but whose counting anyway. “Just grow what you really like” is the advice that Michael gives us.
“The space needed for a family of four to be self sufficient in vegetables is just 30 feet by 50 feet and a polythene tunnel 40 feet by 14 feet and should only take about 8 hours a week to upkeep .“ Michael can even tell us exactly how much it costs him to feed and rear a chicken to 12 week maturity (€7.50). He’s done the maths.
Michael concludes his fascinating talk by saying, “GIY wants to inspire people to gain and share skills in the edible garden. Please give it a try. The worst thing that can happen is that something doesn’t grow.”

Time for me to mingle....

Monthly meetings

GIY Inishowen will have monthly meetings at Harry’s Bar. See the GIYireland.com website for more details. The meetings are non profit making, fun and open to all levels of gardeners from the professional to total novice. Refreshments will be served and there is absolutely no charge.