May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
~Irish Blessing

St. Patrick’s Day has always been a favorite of mine, even though Kilpatrick is Scottish. The day is just plain fun, with all its traditions … leprechauns, pots of gold, rainbows and lots of green.     With the first day of spring, the Crescenta Valley can (usually) expect nice weather on this day. Now if you live in Ireland, it is an entirely different picture. Often called the “Emerald Isle” in reference to the lush green landscape, Ireland in March can be cold and damp as storms move south off the Atlantic Ocean. To add to this dreary scene, the sun breaks through the cloud-cover for only a few hours each day. A blessing indeed, to have “…the sun shine warm upon your face.”

It is a known fact (maybe a wee bit o’ legend) that a leprechaun will drown in a light rain and float away on a breezy day. Apparently this solitary little fellow has a deal worked out with the weather, for this has never happened. Only standing at two or three feet tall, their dress is meticulous. Current fashion calls for red trousers, a well-tailored, green-velvet waistcoat, a hat and buckled shoes. Accessories include a leather belt with two pouches attached – in one of these is a silver shilling and the other a gold coin (used for getting out of tight situations, such as inclement weather). At work, as a shoemaker for all the faerie folk of Ireland, he dons a studded leather apron. Sounds like a pretty nice guy. At times, yes … but watch out!

Leprechauns are intelligent, clever and mischievous, but are generally considered harmless, although they have been known to play tricks on innocent farmers and villagers.     Quieter moments are spent foraging for mushrooms, nuts and dandelions for meals and at home in small caves or hollowed out logs. Later, they go into the dark, misty and cool night to gather with other leprechauns to play flutes, fiddles and harps, dancing and drinking Poteen (potato moonshine) into the early morning hours.

And what about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Leprechauns keep their gold coins there, tucked away deep in the Irish countryside. Many attempts have been made to capture the owner and his gold, but protected by magical powers of the fairies, all have failed. So the legend goes…

Get out your green umbrellas as a series of storms are predicted for over the weekend and into next week. Temperatures may dip well below normal, with highs in 50s and lows in the 30s. Snow levels could drop to 2,000 feet. Snow pellets – graupel – may even fall locally. Clearing is expected by Tuesday.

~Special St Patrick’s Day Weather Statement: No rainbows or leprechauns will or should make an appearance this Saturday.