The Horsemen and the Ice Saints - a little story.

tui34

I decided to plants 6 green pepper plants yesterday in the cool calm of the morning.  By 4pm the winds had got up to around 70 kmph.  They increased in strength throughout the evening.  The horsemen had arrived!!!  The French call them "Les Cavaliers" and they ride across the sky breaking new growth as they pass.  This could go on for the next couple of days.  Next, are the Ice Saints called "Les Saintes Glaces" which are St. Mamertus on the 11th May,  Saint Pancras on the 12th May and Saint Servatius on the 13th May.  These cheeky saints will see us with a drop in temperature and maybe frost.  Old timers would use these weather precautions before planting summer crops - now with global warming it seems unlikely.  My French father-in-law has already planted his tomatoes, so I can take that he is not worried about the Ice Saints!!   I hope you enjoyed this little story.  There are lots more idioms and expressions about the weather and planting.  Have a good afternoon!

pansyface

Lovely! In my time, I’ve spent several icy hours on platforms at St Pancras station. Now I know why.

The Scots just have the saying “Ne’er cast a cloot till May is oot”. Which translates roughly as don’t strip off your clothes until either (a) the end of May or (b) when May blossom is flowering. I go for the end of May myself.

BenCotto

Excellent tuikowhai. I enjoyed that. Any more? Don’t the French have a similar expression to the one pansyface quoted but in your case it is avril? Isn’t there a rather vivid simile in French which puts heavy rain and bulls in the same sentence?

tui34

Don't know about the heavy bulls - but "Au mois d'avril, ne decouvre pas un fil."  Although - "Au mois de mai, fais ce qu'il te plaît!"  In the month of May, do as you please.  But I have since changed it to "Au mois de mai, reste confiné!"  
Thank you for your interest.

BenCotto

Sorry, cows not bulls. I was not thinking straight.
Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse.

tui34

Yes, that means it's raining cats and dogs - in general.  But we are on the subject of the spring idioms and expressions.

pansyface

Are you from New Zealand or is it just dear to you? 

Marvellous country. 

tui34

Yes, I am from NZ but been living in France since 1990.  Late hubby French to the core!!
I enjoy it here.  Good weather - I like the European style of living.  

pansyface

We visited New Zealand in the early 1980s as part of a round the world trip.

We were so impressed with it, we even got papers to apply to emigrate.

Unfortunately, when it came to filling in the answer to the question “Why do you want to live in New Zealand?” we didn’t think that “Because it’s lovely” would swing it our way. 😊

tui34

So did you put that or something else? 
NZ is certainly handling things well during this Covid-19.  Seems that having a young feminine PM with a young daughter and a stay-at-home husband is good for NZ.   

pansyface

I’m afraid we chickened out. It’s the only country I have visited that I would choose to live in in preference to UK.

And the politicians are sensible too.