JANUARY WINDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 257, 13 January 1941, Page 5

JANUARY WINDS

BLOW NO ONE GOOD

AN UN WELCOME BREAK

The long fine spell has broken and over the week-end 1 two inches of rain were recorded. The change is welcomed by farmers who were just beginning to feel the pinch, but the holiday makers at Qhope, Ohiwa, and the lakes declare that January winds blow no one good and! blame the rain on the notorious weather following the usual . easterly zephyrs. But it would be unjust to criticise the weather after such a phenomenally long dry spell, at the same time we humans reserve our traditional right to grouse, and when the towndweller is happy in the clear line days, the farmer claims that it is ruinous. Likewise Avhen the farmer smiles with profound' content as the rain rejuvenates his parched fields, the f'ownie grumbles at his lack of holiday weather. So lio, Blockhead, where are you? Haymakers on the Avhole in this' district are through their seasonal work, but as usual there are the last minute artists who can scarcely be expected to .appreciate the present weather. The wind blowetli where it listeth, says one old proverb, meaning that the wind takes orders from no"one, but just blows where and when it pleases. When the wind blowetli the hay goeth. And that is just too bad. Wet days do not make good holidays. People now camping out have been receiving plenty of sympathy from their stay-at-home friends, and doubtless just as much dust and sand from the winds that blow upon their tents and cars. Folks with holidays to come are congratulating themselves that they are safe at home during this period of rain winds, and are hoping that real summer weather will happen again when their own vacations are due.

It is poor consolation to say that because of January winds there will be plenty of windfalls in the orchards. Little green apples ought to be available at give-away prices for use in making apple pies and apple jeljy. That i> a misfortune for the apple growers. A "windfall" is the term used to indicate a piece of good fortune, such as when the Minister of Finance finds that the Treasury has benefited from the unexpected deaths of numerous wealthy people and the resulting heavy death duties. That is a case of tl;ie ill wind that blows somebody some good. In the case of the fruitgrower two windfall apples on the ground are not as good as one on the bush.

Whistling for the wind used f o be a popular pastime for people on ships becalmed in the Doldrums as the tropical area of no winds is termed. People round about here would cheerfully exchange some of the prevailing wind for a little bit of' Doldrums weather.. However, with the recent restrictions on imports it would probably not be possible to arrange the exchange, to

we must put up with the weather as it finds us.