Red Sky at Night, Shepherds Delight.
Promises of calm weather for morning’s nice long walk.
I take great delight in these ancient sayings, “Red sky at night, shepherds delight”, “Red sky at morning, shepherds take warning”.
“Red sky” sayings over 2000 years old, Cited in New Testament as established wisdom prevailing among Jews of 1st century AD by Jesus in Matthew 16:2–3.
As often happens in my unpredictable life, Beautiful red sky at glorious sunset, Welcome omen of wonderful morning, Woke to cloud filled sky, Drizzling rain, Everything soaked including my spirit.
Remember these sayings from country grandmother city mother and enthusiastic father, With all this worthy certitude why were these sayings so wrong? Perhaps it’s because I’m not a shepherd?
Sayings out of Context.
Ancient saying depends upon local prevailing wind patterns, Red sky saying generally not correct at lower latitudes of both hemispheres where prevailing winds blow from east to west.
Saying is generally correct at middle latitudes where prevailing winds blow from west to east, Reasonable to assume shepherd’s delight saying originated in middle latitudes.
My apartment in Southern hemisphere borders middle latitudes, I enjoy sunset sight but get out umbrella just in case!
Explanation at Middle Latitudes
Reddish glow of morning or evening sky caused by air’s particles scattering sun’s blue light in stable air mass.
Red morning glow means high-pressure zone moving towards east, Low-pressure system moving in from west, Evening red sky indicates high-pressure system moving in.
High-pressure air mass signifies stable weather, Low-pressure signifies unstable weather.
Be Careful of Assumptions.
Our ubiquitous technology connects and binds us wherever and whenever we may be without regard to local conditions.
Local customs knowledge and social language often confusing to outsiders looking in, Like me.
Last visit to New York with mother and father maybe early 60's, Hotel refreshments, We asked for morning tea and biscuits, Server apologised “We’ve only cookies” while presenting heaped plate of biscuits, Of course we’d plain forgotten, Mum often baked cookies as special treats, We bought Arnotts biscuits at our local shop, To us Aussies US biscuits are more like bread, We were soon put to rights, Then tea was served, Mother horrified, Tea bags in teapot! “This will never do!” she exclaimed, None of us drank coffee.
Always amused at these little and interesting social differences, Australians speak rapidly in Strine, Broadly accented often strangled English, We take delight in tormenting proper English gentle folk, Mist admit joke wore thin after working in land of Poms for 3 long years.
Amazing where poem ends up when poem takes charge of writing.
Blessed be.
