A shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather*

*Lyric from "Like the Weather," 1987 song by 10,000 Maniacs, written by Natalie Merchant

It's been a rough year for the stability of weather forecasting in the United States. Since late January, hundreds of National Weather Service positions have been cut, some key facilities have faced closures or lease terminations, crucial climate and geological databases are no longer publicly accessible, and the infrastructure supporting some early-warning forecast systems has been weakened.

All these cutbacks likely mean less-detailed warnings and slower forecasts, leaving people — especially those in less-populated areas who rely most on the National Weather Service — at greater risk when extreme weather inevitably strikes. (Of course, these actions by this administration are far from the only ones endangering people in the United States.¹)

As stupid and unnecessary as all these anti-science, anti-safety directives are, it got me thinking that we might someday have to lean again on our own observation skills for weather forecasting. I hope it never comes to that, of course. But just like it’s smart to know how to find fresh water or navigate if you’re lost in the woods, it’s smart to know how to read the skies for signs of the weather that’s coming.

Which brings us to today's book. (And the ongoing idea that books are increasingly crucial for the preservation of knowledge in a world where governments can delete or block online information.)

Weather Wisdom, subtitled "Being an Illustrated Practical Volume Wherein is Contained Unique Compilation and Analysis of the Facts and Folklore of Natural Weather Prediction," was written by Albert Lee, illustrated by William C. Sherb and published by Doubleday & Company in 1976. This copy was long part of the Nicholas P. Sims Library in Waxahachie, Texas, before being discarded, which became my gain. Weather observation folklore never gets out of date, and I reckon they could use as much of it as possible in Texas. (Aside: Waxahachie is the birthplace of Josie Briggs Hall, who wrote A Scroll of Facts and Advice, a collection of poems that in 1905 became the first book published by a Black Texan woman.)

The dust jacket text states: "It's all spelled out for you here in this handy almanac: all the natural indicators of the weather — from the cows lying in the field, to the shapes of the clouds, to the pain in Grandpa's game leg — and why they are so accurate. The folklore of weather in America is vast, handed down from the early settlers, the farmers, the sailors, the Indians, the pioneers ..."  

Here's a sample passage, reaching all the way back to cite Theophrastus and Samuel Butler:

Shakespeare's works are mentioned throughout the book, as is the Bible and, at one point, "Fiddler on the Roof." Lee writes in the introduction: "Being weather-wise means more than never getting rained on. It means being sensitive to nature. The weather-wise individual is aware of the color and texture of the heavens, the dew on the grass, the flight of birds, the chirping of crickets, and the very taste of the wind. These are the indicators on which an observation forecast is made. The subtle changes that take place in our environment all have meanings."

I love the William C. Sherb illustration that concludes the book, accompanied by these lines from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra:

“In nature's infinite book of secrecy

A little I can read.”

That illustration makes me want to log off and go outside. But there's a rain and dust storm right now. If only I had known it was coming...

* * *

Here was my attempt to take an artsy photo of today's book. Taken earlier, as the early morning heat was already approaching the upper 90s. The book came safely back inside after the photo. If you think having you own copy of Weather Wisdom might come in handy, you can find plenty of copies online for $10 or less.

Rising fascism footnote

1. Just a handful of the skeets I've bookmarked in recent gut-wrenching days:

• George Takei: "Trump wants to get rid of mail-in ballots so he can intimidate voters with federal troops stationed at the polling stations. Hard to scare people who can just quietly mail in their votes. Protect mail-in voting at all cost."
• Max Berger: "Donald Trump wants to be a dictator who ends freedom of speech and competitive elections. He's saying out loud. He's militarily occupying American cities. It would be great if Democrats in Congress started acting like it."
• Garrett M. Graff: "The precise moment when and where in recent weeks America crossed that invisible line from democracy into authoritarianism can and will be debated by future historians, but it’s clear that the line itself has been crossed."
• Kendra Pierre-Louis: "We're going to deport you to a random country if you don't take a plea deal for a crime you said you didn't do, doesn't sound like justice to me."
• "Truth Tony": "Troops are literally marching down the streets of American cities and we are still debating whether or not this is authoritarianism. We can't convince people fast enough. I have no point. I'm just ... worried"
• Ruth Zakarin: "The fact that this administration is hell bent on punishing Kilmar Abrego Garcia while rewarding Ghislane Maxwell tells you all you need to know about their violent racism and misogyny."