Ash bud

The Ash buds are still tight and I'm watching these and the Oaks for the first signs of opening. Whichever open first is meant to be a sign of the general summer weather, but the various folk rhymes seem to have different outcomes in different parts of the country - 'Ash before the oak, we're in for a soak' or 'If the oak comes out before the ash, Twill be a year of mix and splash'. It all adds to the normal uncertainty of British weather forecasting! In any case, it is highly unusual to see the Ash opening first, but you never know.