At the turning of the year, as I gather the coming year’s astronomical data and track the weather, as we do at all times, I have been thinking of an old saying among the Highland Scottish that predicts the coming year’s weather based on the wind on New Year’s Eve:
“If New Year’s Eve night and wind blows south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much fish in the sea;
If north much cold and storms there will be
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it, man and brute.”
