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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Imbolc, Candlemass, OImelc, Lupercalia, St Bride's day, the feast of Nut (mother of the Sun god Ra) ,for the French it's crepe day, and it's World Wetlands Day too.

It's the end of Winter and the start of Spring for the Northern Hemisphere. The half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

The days are really starting to show the lengthening of the daylight, that very, very first hint of new greenery is appearing.
In days before intensive farming it was the advent of the very first milks from ewes and cows and occasionally the first hens eggs. A time to take a deep breath, take stock of life and joy in having gotten through the darkest of the year and know that the light days were coming back again :D

For most of us it means no more going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark too :D It means evenings that stretch on after dinner time with energy and enthusiasm to get something done :cool:

Time to clean out the guddle, sort out the house, (and the kit :eek:) think about the Summer holidays and what to grow in the garden. Wanderlust starts again and the urge to get off the backsides and go and do something.
It's a family forum but there are studies that appear to back up the young men's (and women's ) fancy, theory too :D

This week I've seen the squirrels run their courtships along the treetops, watched the crows start to pair up again, saw the robin chase off a male rival but allow a female into his territory, so that's all on course.

I have fresh lady's smock, bittercress, feverfew, snowdrops, and primroses coming through in my garden though the trees are remarkably still looking. Not even the buds are swelling yet.

How's your bit of the world ?

cheers,
Toddy
 
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timf2009

Tenderfoot
Nov 16, 2009
83
0
57
Hamburg Germany
No signs of greenery here yet - it's buried under a foot of snow! According to the local weather it's -20C outside. We're having to put food out for the birds and now also for the pine martins who have started peeking in our windows at night :) The nights are getting lighter though thank heavens.

Toddy I have to ask....what's a guddle???
 

scanker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 15, 2005
2,326
24
52
Cardiff, South Wales
Well yesterday was the first day I drove home from work without lights on this year. The wild garlic in our garden is sprouting through and I saw some snowdrops the other weekend,
 

scrogger

Native
Sep 16, 2008
1,080
1
56
east yorkshire
Thanks for that Toddy you just put a smile on my face. I was reading something before Christmas about the terms yule and I think it was litha which I think means going towards the light. It does fell you with a sense of needing to be busy not sure about the fancying bit though...lol Swmbo decided to talk to me about planting lettuce seeds in bed last night!!
 

locum76

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 9, 2005
2,772
9
47
Kirkliston
Imbolc, that'll explain the 6 inches of snow on the farm this morning then. :rolleyes:

It's a good time of year right enough, time to put the seed order in, sow the parsnips, warm up the poppy seeds, get some tomatoes on the go and tentatively switch the water mains back on in the polytunnels (might wait a couple of days for that now).

Camping wise - its time to plan the first spring trip. possibly a few days up by Loch Lochay to scope the route for the Artemis100 in September.

Life in General - its time for some of us to anticipate the patter of tiny feet.... Well there's not much else to do on a freezing Decemeber night.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
Werl, technically imbolc starts on the 1st of feb :D
Howevery i wish you all the brightest blessings of Brigid!
i hope your all feeling creative as this is the muse's festival!
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Toddy I have to ask....what's a guddle???

:D You know when you open up a drawer or a toolbox or a cupboard and you can't find what you're looking for because it's such a cluttered muddled up mess of stuff ? That's a guddle.
When you can't get on and do what you need to do because you have so much stuff lying around getting in the way ? That's a guddle.

Right now, my kitchen :eek: oh that's a guddle :rolleyes: :D
(I'm clearing out the pantry)


I didn't know this was groundhog day Chris :) They're like a cross between a burrowing squirrel and a hamster, sort of, aren't they ?

cheers,
Toddy
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Werl, technically imbolc starts on the 1st of feb :D
Howevery i wish you all the brightest blessings of Brigid!
i hope your all feeling creative as this is the muse's festival!


From dusk to dawn runs the day. Only with the advent of the internet have I heard it called the 1st. I got married 31 years ago today :) I was told that it was a good day for it :D

cheers,
M
 

gregorach

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 15, 2005
3,723
28
50
Edinburgh
Werl, technically imbolc starts on the 1st of feb :D

I beg to differ... Imbolc is a lunar festival (always falling on the full moon) so it occurs on different calendar dates each year. Same for the rest of the quarter-days.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
From dusk to dawn runs the day. Only with the advent of the internet have I heard it called the 1st. I got married 31 years ago today :) I was told that it was a good day for it :D

cheers,
M

Holy carp! i've just realised my anniversary is in 7 days! thanks for reminding me LOL! 8 years married, flies does that.


I shall also bow to Gregorach's knowledge here, it is indeed a lunar festival and its a great day to get married on toddy.
honestly i've always been told its the first, prolly all that OBOD stuff i've read heh, however i hope you all enjoy the day.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,776
1,510
51
Wiltshire
I never understand this sun and moon stuff.

I just let them do as they please.

(Reading Michael Balfours book on Stonehenge...Being Wiltshire born and bred, I do not go near the place.)

(I didnt think much of Callinash either, but I was having an off day then.)
 

forestwalker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Regarding Imbolc; -20 C and snow does not give "spring is here" feelings. It is a bit lighter than around Yule, but the sun still sets before 4 PM. Still, things are starting, e.g. a pair of ravens was squabbling when I was out skiing yesterday, perhaps *they* feel that spring is here, even if it would be on the early side this far north.
 

stuart f

Full Member
Jan 19, 2004
1,397
11
56
Hawick, Scottish Borders
Time to clean out the guddle, sort out the house, (and the kit :eek:) think about the Summer holidays and what to grow in the garden.
cheers,
Toddy

Oh you hit the nail on the head with that comment Mary,i have been relegated to my shed all day,as the missus has been like a whirling dervish spring cleaning the house,she was also looking at Summer holidays on the net last night for her and her mates.And shes already started buying seeds for the allotment :rolleyes: must be a woman thing :pokenest:

Cheers Stuart,who has only been allowed back in the house.Shes just told me i make the place look untidy :surrender:

I :dunno: these lighter nights have got a lot to answer for!!
 

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