Cool, Wet & LSD

If you have been awake, you have likely noticed that the last two spring and early summer seasons have been unusually cool and wet.

Now, I don't want to worry anyone, but the last time this happened to this degree was in the 1500's-1600's. It lasted a LONG time. In fact, it is thought that the cool, wet summers caused a blight in food crops called "ergot", which creates a compound similar to LSD. When villagers ate the contaminated food, they would appear "crazy", or "spellbound". These episodes were attributed to witchcraft, which in turn led to the witch trials in places such as Salem, Massachusetts.

Just a little bit of trivia.

In fact, the Little Ice Age (called LIA by climatologists) occured from roughly 1150 AD to 1850 AD. It caused Viking farmers and fishermen to become warriors, invading the British Isles to the south. It caused the Black Plague, and starvation killed millions more. And 1816 was recorded as "The Year Without A Summer".

And, the wine country USED to be in England and northern France and the Netherlands. But even today, grapes can no longer grow there - still too cold. The wine country is now in southern France. It is thought that when grapes can once again grow in northern France and England, the Earth's temperature will have finally normalized. Maybe that is all it is trying to do.

It would seem that the "global warming" thing is nothing more than the Earth's temperature trying to get back to normal, following a 700 year "mini ice age" that only ended 150 years ago.

Frankly, I would rather see the warming, and grapes growing once again in northern France than to see all this cool, wet weather that kills our crops and causes everything to become moldy and moss covered. My gardens have drowned for two years in a row.

For those whose curiosity is aroused, consider the following:

During the Little Ice Age of 1150-1850, documented historical records show that glaciers were on the move FORWARD until 1750 or so...

1595: Gietroz (Switzerland) glacier advances, dammed Dranse River, and caused flooding of Bagne with 70 deaths.

1600-10: Advances by Chamonix (France) glaciers cause massive floods which destroyed three villages and severely damaged a fourth. One village had stood since the 1200's.

1670-80's: Maximum historical advances by glaciers in eastern Alps. Noticeable decline of human population by this time in areas close to glaciers, whereas population elsewhere in Europe had risen.

1695-1709: Iceland glaciers advance dramatically, destroying farms.

1710-1735: A glacier in Norway was advancing at a rate of 100 m per year for 25 years.

1748-50: Norwegian glaciers achieved their historical maximum LIA positions.

Aren't you glad they stopped? Of course, the global warming crowd would never tell you these things :o)

And a prediction - I'll bet that this year's hurricane season will threaten Mexico, Texas and Louisiana more than Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Just my guess...

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