In 1998 I wrote this song. I envisioned people gathered around a campfire, relaxing, having a few beers, gabbing, and telling tales.
Talk About the Weather
Chorus:
When country folk all get together
They always talk about the weather
And if it’s dry they’ll wish it wetter
And if it wet they’ll want sunshine.
They all remember years gone by
When it was cold, or wet, or dry,
When lightening creased the southern sky,
When snow lay thick among the pines.
Verses:
The blossoms came quite late this year,
There’s lots of twins among the deer,
The skies at night are crystal clear,
The beaver’s coats are thick, I hear.
The groundhog’s shadow failed to show,
The robins red stand in a row,
Sun dogs, moon beams, skies aglow,
Read the signs and you will know.
Watch the critters, check the moon,
Expect late frost in early June,
The rains will come too late, too soon,
The scorching heat the crops will ruin.
Minus 20 in late September,
Colder yet by mid November.
New Year’s Eve, do you remember
The black ice and the fender benders?
A twister took Elijah’s shed
While he was fast asleep in bed.
“The weather’s strange these days,” he said,
And quietly he shook his head.
The neighbours came with boards and nails,
They worked all day ‘til light had paled
Then settled down to drink some ale
And share with friends their weather tales.
Twenty-four years ago I decided to write this little ditty to acknowledge what was clearly obvious. The weather is super important - to everyone. No one is exempt. Ranchers must be outdoors regardless of the season because critters need tending. The weather is critical for commercial vegetable growers, gardeners and those who grow cereal crops - it can create a make or break situation. Numerous people work outside, usually on projects that keep our infrastructure up and running. When services fail people can be in danger. Weather can create more than an inconvenience for townies and city folk. It can determine whether they get to work, go to school, drive safely, shop, keep warm or cool. Weather is an entity that cannot be ignored. It can be perfect, benign, inconvenient, or extreme.
This winter has been especially tough - heavy snow, freezing rain, flooding, sub-zero temperatures, tornadoes - often in places not accustomed to such extremes. When people are unfortunate enough to be caught in a catastrophic weather event they experience a major upheaval in their lives, for some life changing, for some deadly.
Weather was once a safe topic, unlike religion or politics (or vaccines), something we all experience and can relate to. In the 21st century even weather has become controversial. Some talk of global warming, some say climate change, some say it’s no different than it’s always been but we hear about it more through today’s worldwide media. Some scoff at all the climate change rhetoric, some take it seriously, some say it’s just a natural cycle, some say human activity is pushing our planet toward a tipping point.
Regardless of our views on the subject, we will always remember weather events, we will keep checking the forecast, and we will hope extremes don’t come our way. One thing I’m pretty sure is true - we will never, ever stop talking about the weather.
mltipton.blogspot.com, https://www.facebook.com/Northof543/, Jan. 9, 2022
