A friend tells me of an old farmer's thesis which may be merely local lore - or wisdom of the ages. Seems, she says, that if one figures out the prevailing wind (wet finger, to start . . .) on the first day of the new Season, usually on or next to the 21st of the month of the Season's arrival, one can then know what will be the prevailing weather pattern for that Season.

So . . . if (where we live) Winter, say, arrives upon a prevaling SW wind, then the season will be milder than usual, as the south-westerly winds bring warmer air up from the Mexican Gulf. If the wind is from the NW that first day, then it's going to be cold and blustery - a 'real winter' you could say. If from the North East, lots of snow nor'Easters bring storms in lots of places, it seems. South-East wind too promises storms (off the lake (Ontario or Erie).

You will know, or old 'locals' will and can tell, what tends to come to your neck of the woods when the wind shifts and brings 'weather' from one of the respective 'corners.' Of course here in N. America, the El Nino or Nina patterns create the fluctuations too, as weather patterns and passages are allowed (or not) to sweep down further south from more northerly places and climes.

Certainly this year (2015), El Nino has created a balmy December and is guaranteeing a green (groan) Christmas. Not many songs written about that.

Ah well, if science (and historians) could or would actually trace way back, as far as possible as that - since we don't put much stock in that which isn't 'modern' or 'postmodern,' - viz. 'because it's 2015!" . . . they might actually find the weather patterns of way-gone years. Freezing decades or centuries or hotter decades or centuries). I don't think they can find them, least not for far back anyway, though they speak SOOO authoratatively about what happened in the past in and with all kinds of other areas of scientific rigour and positing. I think we may be in the beginning (perhaps) of another cycle in the long, long cycles of global warming and cooling; and we're in a warming period now, it seems. That's my theory - it's all happened before (how ever did humanity survive!!) - and my guess may be as good as the next, of that of even so-called professionals and experts and those who 'are agreed . .  .' Global warming data appears to have been 'fixed' fraudently and for what purposes(?), in some circles, and the data (as I read about it from many sources) is ambiguous and confusing, and to be  debated as to meaning, in many others. What's confusing is what's happening? that's one aspect. Another is: did we humans create it and is it worse now than 'yesteryear?' And further, 'can we do anything - much about it, even if we did reduce carbon foot prints and stop completely our use of non-renewable power sources?

I do indeed think that we should be good, better, best stewards of all of creation. I think God put us here to, in part, be such stewards and have such stewardly concerns and good practices for the world. Salvation is now about disembodied souls; we should not be more 'spiritual' than God, who loves stuff and made a universe of it - not to mention energy both light and dark.

Whether there's global warming or not, I welcome attempts to address the issue. It may cost; some fear it will cost too much and I confess I'm not sure how willing I am to have carbon taxes and such added to my budget bottom-line(s). Will we waken, down the years (even centuries from now will some?) and look back to the hoax or foolishness of a global warming 'scare,' and 'crisis' which was politically or scientifically or persons-on-the-street induced, or will we look back with a 'whew' and 'thank God' we woke up to the realities and our responsibilities - and began to do the little but the something that we could.

I'm a middle child - in-between, and I often mediate between people with a strong 'yes!' or equally opposite and strong 'no!.' "Yes, it's true!" "No, it aint!"

I realize that's exactly where one is likely to get run over, trying to stand somewhere near the middle-of-the-road, or - in the warning words of Scripture, not the place to be when one is neither hot nor cold, but rather 'lukewarm' and ready, deserving to be spit out.

But I'm not sure the data yet points to the global warming 'crisis' that may just have been created more by perspective, agenda and other motives, rather than by real and accurate scientific and historical perpective.

I may be dead wrong, not knowing - not as yet convinced either way.

I hope the planet will not be. 'Cause if I'm wrong, and none of us do much about it, it'll be dead alright.