Lion or Lamb

Many of you have heard the old saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."  It's always a big debate at school, making a prediction about how Old Man Winter will treat us in our last leg of the winter race in Michigan.  This winter has been easy on us compared to last year with only a few snow days but if you are from Michigan there are never any guarantees when it comes to the weather.  

You may be wondering where this old proverb originated from.   No matter how many best practices that a farmer uses to grow a bumper crop their livelihood is still at the mercy of the weather. Farmers would have to make important decisions about planting crops in the spring.  Planting too early could result in a complete crop failure with freezing temperatures.  Without weather forecasters such as Al Rouker around farmers relied on beliefs and astrology. The Leo constellation was present at the beginning of March in the night skies which then gave way to Aries the Ram at the end of the month.  People believed that their lives centered around the spirits of the gods and if March came in fierce like a lion then in order to keep a balance of power among the universe then it had to leave mild like a lamb.    

Now that I think about it ...  weather forecasting really hasn't changed a whole lot because after all we are living in Michigan where anything can happen.
So will March prove to be in like a Lion and out like a Lamb?  Only time will tell for certain but the fact remains there is a 50 - 50 chance either way.
Here are just a few other farmer's life proverbs to ponder:

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about, ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.