Welcome to my Perching Post.

Do you like having fun? Do you like Weather?

Walking along the road to a small Scottish village some years ago the weather suddenly turned from bright, warm sunshine to chilly, driving rain. A passerby remarked that in those parts nobody ever went out without their waterproofs. We learned the lesson the hard way!

Two walkers on a path with uncertain weather — *Dodging the rain on a hilly path*

Today it’s often said that there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothing. Muffled up in a warm coat or a hardy rain jacket it can be fun just to take the weather in one’s stride. And to enjoy it.

Person in coat protected against any weather — *Muffled against all weathers*

It seems to be a particularly British thing, our obsession with The Weather. Most conversations get round to it sooner or later. Very often it’s one of the first things we talk about – it provides such a rich ground for grumbles, obsession and speculation! It changes at the drop of a hat – even with today’s sophisticated computer technology and meteorological modelling the forecasters often fail to get their weather predictions spot on. And so, The Weather is never a dull subject.

Three lasses enjoy a picnic in a sunny meadow — *Picnickers enjoy a sunny day*

A sunny day can suddenly turn to…

Dramatic storm clouds threaten a complere change in the weather — *Storm clouds loom*

…a dramatically stormy day.

Indeed, the etiquette in polite society has long ruled that ‘The Weather’ is a safe topic of conversation when all else fails. In the 18th century novel Sense & Sensibility Jane Austen has one of her characters, Mrs Dashwood, say to her youngest daughter:

‘Hush, Margaret, if you can’t think of anything appropriate to say you will please restrict your remarks to the weather.’

A rainbow indicates a change in the weather — *Changeable weather*

Sometimes its easier to understand the weather than the times we live in. So we turn to a ‘safe’ subject. But even in Biblical times there was a tendency to focus on the weather rather than the social and political times the people were going through. Jesus challenged the people when he said,

 “When you see clouds growing bigger in the west, you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming.’ And soon it begins to rain. When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. You hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?”

Then, as now, people were living in difficult times; what was going on in the wider world didn’t always make sense. And it may be that we suffer from confusion and muddle about what goes on in the world today. It is times like these when we perhaps need to focus on the simple things in life – those things we can’t do anything about but just confront head on, endure – and even, enjoy. In his book, That Hideous Strength, CS Lewis writes of a couple who make the most of whatever weather they encounter:

‘We both like Weather. Not this kind or that kind, but just weather. It’s a useful taste if one lives in England… Everyone begins as a child by liking Weather. You learn the art of disliking it as you grow up. Haven’t you ever noticed it on a snowy day? The grown-ups are all going about with long faces, but look at the children - and and the dogs? They know what snow’s made for.’

A couple and a dog have fun in the snow — *Enjoying the snow*

So, whatever the weather, wherever you are, enjoy it and make the most of it. It’ll change soon enough…

Weather turns good and bad. it never remains the same. — *After the sun, the rain; after the rain, the sun…*

Oh, for a happy and sunny St Bartholomew’s Day!

St Bartholomew’s Day comes on 24th August – 40 days after St Swithin’s Day. Both are folk lore predictors of weather. Maybe you remember the saying:

“St Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days will rain na mair”

St Swithin's Day rain brings rain for the following forty days — *Forty days of rain predicted…*

How closely we’d all watch for rain or sun!

Less well known, perhaps, is the piece of folk lore surrounding St Bartholomew:

‘If St Bartholomew be clear, a prosperous autumn comes that year.’

Woman harvesting crops from vegetable garden — *A good harvest*

I rather like the saying, ‘All the tears that St Swithin can cry, St Bartelmy’s mantle will wipe dry…’

Child walking in field, all tears gone — *St Bartleby’s mantle will dry any tears…*

Bee keepers are also reminded that ‘On St Bartholomew’s day take the honey away.’

Honey potential! — *Beehives offer a fruitful harvest*

Honey is delicious when enjoyed on hot buttered toast – but it has numerous other benefits.

Honey - with a cup of tea, or used in many other ways — *The teatime jar of honey – full of possibilities*

In ancient times honey was used for embalming purposes but it also aids the living. Aristotle (around 350BC) undertook research into the healing and antiseptic properties of honey and Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, prescribed honey for sores and ulcers.

Scientific research into the properties of honey continues today — *Research into the benefits of honey*

Research continues today into the effects of honey on heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure and numerous other conditions – so we can rightly celebrate the honey harvest around St Bartholomew’s Day.

St Bartholomew - a day to celebrate the many properties of the wonderful bee! — *A day to celebrate the noble bee!*

My Sweet Peas: Better Late than Never!

I was late in planting my sweet peas this year and it seems that with the cold and wet spring they’ve been playing ‘catch-up’ ever since. So it was a joy to see the first flower at the weekend. Just when everybody else’s beautiful sweet peas are finishing mine are finally getting going!

The first sweet pea in my garden finally makes an appearance! — *First sweet pea of the summer*

Sweet peas have so much going for them. Native to Sicily, the southern Mediterranean and the Aegean Islands they bring a breath of summer sun and warmth to any garden.

Vibrant Mediterranean colours — *A bright blue day in the Mediterranean*

The colours are rich and vibrant – or delicate and subtle. The perfume is simply heavenly – and quite heady. Just a few stems cut and placed in a vase can scent a room for days. In the language of flowers sweet peas have been used to express youthful love – symbols of delight, beauty and affection. As a child I recall visiting a great aunt and being given a posy of sweet peas to take home – it was the first time I had encountered their wonderful fragrance and I was entranced!

A child holds a delicate flower — *Childhood memories of floral posies*

Sweet peas have been associated with gratitude and loyalty and are linked with firm and lasting friendships. The flowers appear fragile but are hardy and resilient and have been used to symbolize strength and courage in the face of adversity.

Woman in field re-energised with sweet pea power! — *The sweet pea stands for courage and strength*

The poet John Keats wrote:

Here are sweet peas, on tip-toe for a flight:
With wings of gentle flush o’er delicate white…

So enjoy them – outdoors in all their splendour as they romp up a support, or indoors where their colour and perfume will bring joy to all.

Small crystal vase holding posy of sweet peas — *A sweet pea posy*

Truly a case of ‘better late than never…’