Legend has it that Sheila was especially close to St. Patrick back in the day. Whether sister, mother, mistress or wife is up to speculation.
Here in Newfoundland, a final winter storm that falls between St. Patrick’s day on March 17th and any time during the month of April is known as “Sheila’s Brush”.
Sheila brushes out the old weather to make room for Spring. Whether she did it mighty early this year is a matter of debate, but our unseasonably warm weather is marvellous.
Most old fishers and sealers won’t hit the waters until Sheila has been and gone with the brush.
They have been proven to be 100% accurate.
We’re not too sure if the last March wee storm has been it for Sheila or just a trial run for something more in the lines of one serious big wallop.
PS I’m overloaded with work so blogging and blog-reading are sporadic until end of April.
People here (in TO) are being a little cautious about the weather too; some think we're in for a helluva summer (as in hotter than), others are waiting for the other shoe to drop (as in a whopper of an April snowstorm).
ReplyDeleteWhat a great legend! Sheila's Brush indeed!
I think we've all given up making weather predictions here in NI. The weather's got so totally anarchic we just expect anything at all from snow to heatwaves....
ReplyDeleteThanks for that bit of "color" 'bout Newfoundland. I'm thinking of moving there, and everything I've heard has been charming.
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Hmmm I've always thought of the name Sheila as a fairly modern one, much loved in Aussie-land. Now I come to think about it though, it does have a very Irish sound. :-)
ReplyDeleteHere in OK we're hoping for an quiet tornado season to make up for an extra-long, wild and extra- cold winter.... Extremes are normal here though, so I doubt it.
PS don't work too hard! :-)
I hope you're all done having storms and that you really will have only nice weather now. We're hoping for the same here and it is starting to look good. XOX
ReplyDeleteYears ago I gave up following weather forecasters and just look at the sky each morning. Mind you that is not as easy as it used to be. :(
ReplyDeleteDon't overwork. I am back from a week of enforced absence from the internet. It was cruel - no broadband.
All these years I thought it ws Sheils'a blush but my brother-in-law set me straight by giving me your site. Thanks for the info, very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOr, from another tradition: "April, April, er macht was er will."
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