San Francisco: One Visitor's Viewpoint

San Francisco is a wonderful city to visit.

It offers much to appeal to tourists, including the famous Golden Gate Bridge which is pictured below. I took this photo as well as the other photos in this article.

My three-day visit seemed to go quickly. I’d loved to have enjoyed more time to see and experience many things I missed.  

However, my three days from arriving Sunday afternoon, June 7^th, 2026, until departing Wednesday afternoon, June 10^th 2026, allowed me to see many of the main tourist attractions.

Arrival

I arrived via an Amtrak train to Emeryville, California, which is located across the San Francisco Bay from San Francisco. Then I took an Amtrak Thruway bus from Emeryville across the Bay to San Francisco.

The scenic bus ride offered great views of the San Francisco skyline, the Bay, etc. 

Weather

One of the first things I did upon arrival in San Francisco was put on a winter coat I had been carrying. The coat felt good in the cool air and wind that afternoon.

The weather in San Francisco in June can indeed be cold, though it can also be warm. I experienced both during my days there.

It even rained a bit one afternoon, which is rare in June in San Francisco. The brief drizzle was officially a trace of rain according to the National Weather Service.

But it was enough to get streets damp, get some cars to turn windshield wipers on, and for at least one person to get an umbrella out.

My umbrella was buried in the bottom of my backpack, and I didn’t get it out, primarily because I didn’t locate it in a quick search of the backpack.     

The Golden Gate Bridge

This iconic bridge in northern San Francisco is probably the city’s most recognizable feature. Seeing and crossing it was at or near the top of my list of things to do in San Francisco. That's me pictured above, standing near the bridge before walking across it.

The HIUSA Fisherman’s Wharf hostel I stayed at was a reasonably short walk from a bus stop for the San Francisco Muni route 28 bus to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. I rode it to near the bridge.

Before crossing the bridge, I enjoyed reading many plaques that were located near the bridge that described the bridge’s construction and its history. I also visited the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center located nearby.  

Then I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. It took about 45 minutes to walk across but only about 35 minutes to walk back, since on the return trip I stopped less frequently to look at scenery and take photos.

Pedestrians can only walk on the east side of the bridge. Furthermore, the bridge is closed to walkers during the overnight hours.

I was glad I was wearing my winter coat with a hood, since the cool temperatures and wind would have made me cold otherwise.

I enjoyed great views of the San Francisco area from the bridge.

Below is a photo of part of San Francisco that I took from the bridge.

I saw no fog during my visit to the bridge. However, a few hours after I crossed it, as I passed near the bridge on a bus back from Golden Gate Park, the bridge area was obscured by fog.

San Francisco is notorious for its fog, which apparently is worst in June, July, and August. The fog even has names, including KARL, June Gloom, and Fogust. 

Golden Gate Park and the Pacific Ocean

Golden Gate Park is a huge park in western San Francisco that features a wide variety of things to see and do. The sign above provides a map and list of some of the park features. 

I took the route 28 bus from near Golden Gate Bridge to Lincoln Way which borders the southern edge of Golden Gate Park. Then I walked west some blocks and took a path north into the park.

I toured part of the western area of the park including seeing two windmills, the Murphy Windmill and the Dutch Windmill, which are both pictured below, the Murphy Windmill first.

I also viewed lots of flowers and other plants that I didn’t recognize.

I even saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life, which is just past the western end of the park. 

The Pacific is pictured below.

I did not visit the eastern part of Golden Gate Park, which is apparently its best area.

That portion contains the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, de Young museum, Strybing Arboretum, the California Academy of Sciences, and much more. I hope to visit that area on a future trip.    

Bookstores and the San Francisco Main Public Library

I love to read and enjoy visiting bookstores and libraries.

San Francisco features many bookstores for a city its size. While there I browsed three of the bookstores, including the iconic City Lights Bookstore. Below is a photo from inside the bookstore, followed by one of its front exterior.

I also enjoyed briefly browsing part of the large San Francisco main public library.

Lodging

I enjoyed staying at the HIUSA Fisherman’s Wharf hostel. Its great location near several tourist attractions and its reasonable price appealed to me.

If you don’t mind staying in a dorm style room with other people and sharing a bathroom, I recommend it highly.

Alcatraz

I took a ferry from  pier 33 to Alcatraz Island and toured the former prison. The audio cellhouse tour which is included with the admission cost provided educational, entertaining details about the prison and its history.

Below is a photo of one of the prison cells.

I was especially amazed by the variety of beautiful flowers and birds that inhabit Alcatraz island.

The photo below shows some of the flowers in one of the many flower gardens on the island.  

The ferry ride to and from the island offered great views as well.

Below is a photo I took during the return ferry trip that shows part of San Francisco.

Cable Cars

San Francisco has three iconic cable car routes.

I rode the Powell-Hyde route from its beginning point near the Bay to its end near Market Street, then rode parts of it three additional times to destinations I wanted to see.

I also rode a Powell-Mason route cable car from its beginning point near the Bay to its end point near Market Street.

At various times, I rode inside a cable car, outside on a bench, and even rode standing holding on to a pole. It was a nice experience each way.

On a future visit to San Francisco I hope to ride the third cable car route, the California Street cable car route.

I also hope to ride the Powell-Hyde route in the opposite direction from near Market Street to near the Bay to experience the great view of the Bay and the exhilaration of the steep decline as it goes down the hill toward the Bay. 

Public Transportation

San Francisco is blessed with a quality mass transit system. It features three iconic cable car routes, its F-line street car route, numerous buses, underground rail transportation, and ferries.

Below is a photo of one of the F-line  street cars.

Since San Francisco is bordered on three sides by water, its two bridges and the ferries likely get lots of use.

BART (a rail mass transit system) offers service to the airport, Oakland, and other areas. 

Pier 39 and the Embarcadero

Pier 39 is a big tourist area. For me its highlight was seeing the sea lions at Pier 39. Below is a photo of some of them.

I also browsed by some Pier 39 shops. The only thing I bought was a ½ pound round loaf of bread from the  Boudin Bakery store.

I enjoyed walking along part of the Embarcadero. The Embarcadero is a long scenic walking area with numerous businesses that extends from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area on one end to past the Ferry Building on the other. 

Ferry Building Farmers’ Market and Ferry Building

I visited a Tuesday Farmers’ Market in front of the Ferry Building. That market is one of several farmers' markets in San Francisco. I enjoyed seeing the variety of produce and other items for sale.

I accepted an offer of a tasty free sample of mixed California fresh fruit.

The Ferry Building itself is located near the southern end of the Embarcadero near Pier 1.

The building features many restaurants, as well as being a point of departure and arrival for ferries.

Below are photos of the exterior of the Ferry Building and of a sign inside the building announcing ferry departure times.  

Chinatown

San Francisco has a large Chinatown featuring lots of restaurants, produce markets, and souvenir shops. 

I enjoyed browsing through much of Chinatown on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street.

Below are photos of the Dragon Gate entrance to Chinatown and of part of one of the Chinatown shops selling fresh produce. 

Museums

I did not visit any of San Francisco’s many museums on this trip, but I hope to on a future visit.

I feel that the Cable Car Museum, the San Francisco Railway Museum, and the Wells Fargo History Museum would all be educational and fun to go through.

I confess less interest in the art museums, but that's just my personal preference.

Food and Stores

I'm trying to adhere to a vegan diet. I ate two delicious vegan sandwiches from the Mariposa Baking Co. location in the Ferry Building: a vegan empanada and a Vegan Delight bagel.

Those were probably my tastiest treats of the trip. The sandwiches and the bread they were on were delicious.

Below are photos of part of the Mariposa Baking Co. location in the Ferry Building and of the part of their menu that shows the Vegan Delight bagel.

In San Francisco I also ate at a Thai restaurant for the first time, the New Thai Elephant restaurant on Bay Street relatively close to the hostel I stayed at.

I ate at a few other restaurants.

But I took many snacks with me to save money on my food bill. I also bought some things at a Safeway supermarket near the hostel, as well as at a Trader Joe’s store also within walking distance of the hostel.

Since I'm trying to adhere to a vegan diet, I avoided the numerous seafood restaurants. I also skipped the souvenir shops. 

I bought sunscreen and a few other things at a Walgreens near the hostel.

"Crookedest Street in the World"?

I enjoyed walking down, then back up, the block of Lombard Street on Russian Hill that is labeled the “Crookest Street in the World.” The label may be hyperbole, but the block does feature an amazing number of curves, eight I think.

Below is a photo taken looking up at that crooked block. The block features lots of beautiful flowers and is a one-way street that goes downhill.   

  

Unusual Outdoor Toilet Available 24-7

I found the outdoor toilet on Market Street pictured below fascinating. It is apparently self-cleaning and free to use, available 24 hours a day. I did not need to try it out.

Some of the Things I Didn’t Get to See on My Visit

During my visit I did not go to the Castro section of San Francisco. That is probably the primary area for LGBTQ activities. That area also includes the iconic Castro Theater, as well as bookstores.

I also did not visit the Mission District, which features numerous murals and some bookstores.

I also did not tour the Presidio and walk up to the Palace of Fine Arts.

I also didn’t experience Coit Tower or get out and walk on Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, or Russian Hill other than walking the crookedest block of Lombard Street.

I also did not get to Muir Woods. Those woods are located several miles north of San Francisco and include some old growth redwood trees.

Departure and Final Thoughts

I took BART to San Francisco’s airport on my day of departure. My flight was close to on time and went well.

I highly recommend San Francisco to potential visitors. Its variety of restaurants, farmers’ markets, Golden Gate Bridge, bookstores, museums, parks, proximity to Alcatraz, etc., make it a special place.     

Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, the KKK, and Divisiveness: A Personal View

I am probably one of the few people who have heard in person part of a Jesse Jackson speech, as well as part of a Ku Klux Klan member's speech.

I heard both at public outdoor gatherings in Lexington, Kentucky, many years ago. The events were on two different dates.

I don’t remember much about either speech. The focus of this article is on one specific incident at each event.

Jesse Jackson apparently felt it would create the wrong impression to accept an umbrella from a white man, me, on a rainy day.

A KKK speaker apparently felt it would create the wrong impression to get water from a black man on a hot day.  

Jesse Jackson

The Jesse Jackson speech took place outdoors at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, many years ago. It was an overcast day, so I had an umbrella with me.

As I recall, Jesse Jackson did not have a microphone. It was difficult for me to hear him at first. I was relatively far back in the crowd. But as he spoke, rain began to fall. Jackson did not have an umbrella, nor do I recall others having one. 

Some of the persons near me stated that they didn’t expect rain, they couldn’t hear Jackson's words, and so they were leaving. Several left. I didn’t open my umbrella, because of the crowd of people.

As Jackson continued to speak, the rain became harder. Many more persons left. I gradually moved forward as empty spaces opened up until I was in the front of the now small group. The rain was almost a downpour now.

I took a step or perhaps a few steps toward Jackson, holding my unopened umbrella out toward him. He shook his head no, so I stopped. Gentlemen on either side of Jesse Jackson, perhaps two on each side, possibly bodyguards, moved closer to him. If I remember correctly, one of those gentlemen said to Jackson something like, "that white man looks suspicious" (indicating me), and asked Jackson if he wanted them to take me out. Jackson replied something like,  "No, he’s just offering me his umbrella."

The man asked Jackson if he wanted him to ask me for my umbrella for Jackson, since I wasn’t using it myself anyway. Jackson replied no. The man asked why not. Jackson stated something like, “They wouldn’t understand,” apparently indicating the remaining persons in attendance, who were mostly black I think. Then Jackson looked at me and said quietly to those gentlemen near him something like, “He’s the real Rainbow Coalition.”

I’m not truly a rainbow coalition. I have inherent biases as do all humans. But I do seek unity and fairness for all, which I think is basically what the Rainbow Coalition under Jackson has strived for.

The term Rainbow Coalition may originally have referred to a 1969 group led by the Black Panthers, as noted by a PBS piece [1] and numerous other sources.  However, in 1983 when Jesse Jackson announced his campaign for the 1984 Presidential election, he used the term rainbow coalition to refer to a diverse group of persons united together for positive change. In 1984 Jackson formally formed the National Rainbow Coalition, which in 1996 merged with Operation PUSH to become the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, as noted by History [2], Rainbow PUSH [3], and numerous other sources.

If my original interpretation at the time of the incident at the Lexington rally decades ago and my current memory of it are correct, the Reverend Jesse Jackson could not accept my umbrella, because many in attendance would have taken offense at the minister accepting an umbrella from a white man.

The 2025 picture below is of an umbrella I own that is similar to the one I had at the Jesse Jackson Rainbow Coalition rally.

I don't think I took any photos at the Jesse Jackson speech, either because I didn't take my camera or because I didn't want to risk getting it wet in the rain.

The Ku Klux Klan

On another date, I attended part of a public outdoor Ku Klux Klan rally in downtown Lexington. The Klan speaker was on the steps of Lexington’s courthouse. That courthouse still exists, but is no longer used for court functions due to construction of new Circuit and District courthouse buildings.

I did not stay for the entire speech. But I remember it was an unusually hot day. If I remember correctly, I was in the shade drinking cool water in lightweight clothing as I listened to part of the speech.

But the speaker was standing on the courthouse steps in the sun. Furthermore, he was wearing KKK garb that was likely hot. He occasionally wiped sweat off with a handkerchief or some other type of cloth. Neither he nor the other Klansmen nearby seemed to have any water. That seemed unusual to me, as hot as it was that day.

I thought he looked at me, then stated to one of those with him that it would be nice if I gave him some water. I started to get up to take him a bottle of water. As I recall, I think I had at least one extra one.

However, as I started to get up holding the water, I heard an inaudible inner voice state something like, “Don’t. If he wants water, we’ve got plenty over here. Make him come down and get it.”

I stopped. I wondered what the voice meant. I looked around and several feet away on my right was a small group of blacks. As I looked at them, I saw a few of them holding bottles of water out toward the speaker, who remained on the courthouse steps.

The speaker looked at them, apparently angry, and did not step down for water. I got the impression that this KKK member felt it inappropriate to step down to accept assistance from black persons.

I probably did not take the picture below at the rally where I heard part of the KKK speech. I'm guessing that I took it at another public KKK gathering where I didn’t stay long enough to hear much of the speech.

The picture below is a digital photo of a print photo I took on October 20, 2001. I only know the date because I wrote it on the back of the original photo.

Closing Thoughts

To me it seemed a sad reflection of our society that a prominent black minister could not accept an umbrella from a white man without persons taking offense. It’s just as sad to me that a KKK speaker was unwilling to step down to accept the offer of water from a black man.

I look forward optimistically to the day when true unity and fairness exist, a time such as the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of in his acclaimed “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963. He stated, as I quote from NPR’s website [4] though numerous other websites contain the quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I’ll close by adding “Amen” to that King quote.

NOTE:

I am not affiliated with either the Rainbow Coalition or the KKK.  

ENDNOTES:

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[1] Santisteban,  Ray; “The First Rainbow Coalition”;  PBS.org; premiered January 27, 2020; webpage accessed August 23, 2025; https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-first-rainbow-coalition/

 [2] Pruitt, Sarah; “How Jesse Jackon’s Rainbow Coalition Championed Diversity”;  History.com; published January 29, 2021, and last updated May 28, 2025; webpage accessed August 23, 2025; https://www.history.com/articles/jesse-jackson-rainbow-coalition

 [3] Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Brief History”; Rainbow PUSH.org; webpage accessed August 23, 2025; https://www.rainbowpush.org/brief-history

 [4] “Read Martin Luther King Jr.s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in its entirety”; NPR.org; updated January 16, 2023; webpage accessed August 23, 2025; https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety

 

Selma March 1965: Memory of Then-Seven-Year-Old White Boy of Television News

 

On March 7, 1965, John Lewis was a leader of marchers across a bridge in Selma, Alabama, on what is sometimes called “Bloody Sunday.” One purpose of the march was to seek voting rights for Blacks. The webpage linked to here is one of many with details about that event.

At the time of that civil rights march, I was a seven-year-old white boy in Kentucky. Below are two photos of me. The left one is from when I was in the first grade. The right one was taken when I was in the second grade. I was six or seven years old in the left one, then seven or eight years old in the right one.

    

I still remember seeing as a young boy television coverage of the beating of marchers. I can’t state for sure that it was this particular march that is embellished in my memory. But I’m pretty sure it was.

Below I discuss my memory of television coverage of police beating these marchers. Please realize that my memory may be faulty after all these years.

Even the quotes in quotation marks below should be considered paraphrases at best. But I think the account below is reasonably accurate:

I was watching some type of television news broadcast with my dad and mom. I don’t remember what broadcast it was or what station or even what day or event. However, my guess is that it was that March 7, 1965, Selma, Alabama, march for voting rights, etc.

On television I saw some Black persons walking or marching. I saw police beating them. It made no sense to me. Mom and dad had taught me that the police were in position to help us, to protect us.

I asked my dad, “Why are the police hitting those people? They don’t seem to be doing anything wrong.”

Dad replied, “They’re not doing what they were told.”

Me: “It looks like they were just walking across that bridge.”

Dad replied, “They were told not to walk across that bridge.”

Me: “Why don’t they want them to walk across it?”

Dad: “I don’t know. I can’t hear the sound with you talking. All I see are the pictures.”

Me: “Why is that man saying, ‘Do not resist?’ "

Dad: “Maybe he figures that if they resist that they’ll get hit harder.”

Me: “It looks like they’re getting hit hard enough as it is. I see a lot of blood.”

Me to mom: “Is this the news or just a movie? It’s just a movie isn’t it? This isn’t really happening or didn’t really happen did it?”

Mom: “I think it’s just a movie. Bill [my dad] this isn’t part of the news is it? This is just a movie, isn’t it?”

Dad: “I guess it’s part of the news. If they switched from the news to a movie, I think they’d have said something about it. I don’t know.”

Millions of persons in the United States and around the world saw video of that march and the beating of the marchers. It is perhaps one of the key events in the civil rights movement. I think people were shocked, millions of persons were shocked.

I was only seven years old then. If my memory of it is accurate, this “incident” is one of the few specific things I remember from that age.

This “incident” in my life helps me in a small way partially appreciate the poem, "Incident," by well-known poet Countee Cullen, that was apparently originally published in 1925 in the poetry colletion, Color. The poem, which is now in the public domain, describes an “incident” in an 8-year-old Black boy’s life. The Lehigh University website is one of many that contain the poem.

Closing Thoughts

I’m glad that society has progressed a long way toward equality in voting, jobs, etc., since that day. However, we aren’t there yet. And there have been missteps along the way.

Indeed, at least in some of the early days of the “equal rights” era, it perhaps became even tougher for Black men to get jobs. The reason? Affirmative action or equal rights programs that applied to benefit Blacks and women led to many companies hiring Black women to meet both obligations, rather than hiring Black men.

As a white adult male, I don’t know what it’s like to be Black. But that “incident” that I saw on television as a seven-year-old, helped in at least a little way. Other things since have too.

I look forward to the day when discrimination and affirmative action both cease. I look forward to the day Martin Luther King, Jr., expressed having a dream about, when he stated his children, “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Perhaps it would be even better if we didn’t judge others at all. Instead, let’s seek to help one another. No matter what fault I might see in another, I hope I will state humbly, that if not for God’s grace, I might possess the same flaw.

As John Bradford is credited as stating, “There but for the grace of God goes John Bradford.” Or as the King James Version of the Bible quotes Jesus as stating in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

Whether rich or poor, black or white, male or female, old or young, liberal or conservative, KKK member or Black Lives Matter member, etc., let’s seek to try to listen to the other person’s viewpoint, seek to gain understanding, and seek to attain fairness.

Winters in Spring: Redbud Winter, Dogwood Winter, Blackberry Winter, and More

I figure it is dogwood winter. My mom, Gwenda Gibson, said that too in a phone conversation yesterday.

This morning, April 22, 2024, the low temperature here in Lexington, Kentucky, was a below normal, cold 31 degrees according to the National Weather Service.[1] 

Spring brings warm weather that contrasts nicely with winter. However, warm weather and cool (cold I'd call it) weather conditions alternate during the first half of spring.

When I was growing up in southeastern Kentucky my mom and others often referred to the cold spells (or "little winters") in spring by names based on plants that were blooming at the time.

I especially remember three different winters in spring. My mom and others discussed redbud winter, dogwood winter, and blackberry winter. Mom said all of these didn’t come every year, but they seemed to most years.

I learned there are other winters in spring. The total is more than seven "little winters."

My online research indicates that these winters of spring are especially known in areas in or near the Appalachian region, places including Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. I didn’t see a reference to such winters on websites in other areas.

Currently I live in central Kentucky, in Lexington, which is not considered part of Appalachia. Nonetheless, Lexington's climate is similar to that of the southeastern Kentucky Appalachian area of my childhood.

Furthermore, many residents of Lexington are originally from southeastern Kentucky and recall growing up there and hearing about the winters of spring.

I wonder if other parts of the U.S. and other countries have similar names for the short winters of spring?

A Fox56 website article[2] discussed five “little winters” in Kentucky. It discusses the three I remember from my childhood, as well as Locust Winter and Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter. A 2019 WLEX article discusses the same five “little winters” in Kentucky.[3]

A VisitClevelandTN.com webpage discusses what it calls “the six little winters of Tennessee.”[4] It includes the five previously mentioned and adds Whippoorwill Winter for the sixth one. A WKRN website article lists the same “six little winters.”[5]

Some of the winters of spring are better known than others.  A WOWK article[6] discusses what it considers “the three major ones in Appalachia.” These are the three I mentioned earlier that I remember best from my childhood: redbud, dogwood, and blackberry winters.

In yesterday's phone conversation, mom said those three and sarvis winter are the four she remembers best. She told me that her mom (Annie Hunter-Wicker) talked about those four too.

Below I discuss each of these four in chronological order, followed by brief discussions of three other “little winters” of spring.

Sarvis Winter

I only remember learning about sarvis winter in recent phone conversations with mom such as the one yesterday. But she said she and her mom both referred to sarvis winter during her childhood.

Mom told me that it comes in early spring before redbud winter. That's when the sarvis trees feature white blooms. The sarvis tree is more commonly called the serviceberry tree.

Its usually white blossoms typically feature five petals according to various websites. An interesting West Virginia Explorer article[7] states that sarvis tree blooms in Appalachia let “folks know spring has arrived.” An article on The Tomahawk website[8] covers all seven “little winters” I discuss, including sarvis winter.

Redbud Winter

Redbud trees in eastern Kentucky begin looking beautiful with magnificent bright pink buds in late March and early April. A cold period in early April while redbud trees are near their peak of pink color is called redbud winter.

Below are two photos I took of a redbud tree near my apartment building in Lexington, Kentucky. I took them on March 31, 2024 (top one), and April 2, 2023 (bottom one). The black strip at the top of the 2024 photo is part of my apartment building that got into the photo. Oops!

                                    

 

Dogwood Winter

Dogwood trees in eastern Kentucky bloom in mid to late April. The cold spell that typically occurs while dogwood trees bloom in late April, is called dogwood winter. The cold morning today, April 22, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky, is probably part of dogwood winter.

Below are two photos I took yesterday, April 21, 2024, of a dogwood tree on Parkway Drive in Lexington, Kentucky.

  

Blackberry Winter

Blackberry winter typically comes in early to perhaps mid-May in Kentucky. Mom said it’s usually the first or second week of May. Naturally, it is when blackberry bushes bloom with beautiful, often white, blossoms.

Mom also stated in yesterday's conversation that her mom claimed that if blackberry winter is wet, it will be a wet summer. If blackberry winter is dry, then summer will be dry as well. Do you think that's true?

Locust Winter

The timing of locust winter seems to vary more than the others according to various websites, which indicate it can be in late April, May, or even June. Locust tree flowers are often white, such as those of the black locust tree. I don’t remember locust winter from my childhood, but that may be due to my limited memory.

Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter

I know little about this one. It reportedly occurs after those mentioned earlier, in late spring. The name refers to a type of warm wool and linen (or cotton) clothing worn in winter weather. The end of linsey-woolsey winter supposedly indicates one can put away the winter clothing till fall/autumn.

Whippoorwill Winter

I also know little about this one. Various sources report it to be the last of the short spring winters, occurring in late spring. It comes when one can hear whippoorwill birds make music.

Closing Thoughts

These seven “little winters” of spring may in some cases be called by other names. Furthermore, there are a few other short winters of spring that I’ve heard or read about briefly, such as elderberry winter.

It’s nice to see the progression from winter to early spring to late spring. The beautiful blooms of plants that accompany the changes provide a way to name the cold spells of spring. They also make for some fun discussions. Enjoy spring!

Endnotes: 

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[1] “Weather Observations for the Past Three Days: Lexington Blue Grass Airport”; National Weather Service; April 22, 2024; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KLEX.html  

^[2]  Goins, Madylin; “Kentucky’s little winters: Here’s when you can put your coats away”; Fox56 (Kentucky television station website); April 15, 2024; updated April 18, 2024; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/kentuckys-little-winters-heres-when-you-can-put-your-coats-away/

^[3]  “Kentucky’s Little Winters”; WLEX (Kentucky television station website); April 17, 2019; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://www.lex18.com/stormtracker-blog/2019/04/17/kentuckys-little-winters/ 

^[4]  Jenkins, Mary Tom; “The Six Little Winters of Tennessee”; VisitClevelandTN.com; March 31, 2021; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://visitclevelandtn.com/the-six-little-winters-of-tennessee/

^[5]  Mays, Mary; “What Are ‘Little Winters’ “? WKRN.com (Tennessee television station website); November 12, 2019; revised November 13, 2019; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/what-are-little-winters/

^[6]  Knoll, Chris; “Cold Snap Names in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky”; WOWK (West Virginia television station website); March 17, 2023; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://www.wowktv.com/weather/cold-snap-names-in-west-virginia-ohio-and-kentucky/

[7] Sibray, David; “Sarvis Tree Blossoms Signal the Arrival of Mountain Spring in W. Va.”; West Virginia Explorer; March 19, 2024; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://wvexplorer.com/2024/03/19/sarvis-tree-west-virginia-serviceberry-funerals/  

[8] Manuel, Virginia; “Old Timers Had a Name for All These Weather Changes”; The Tomahawk; April 16, 2024; webpage accessed April 22, 2024; https://www.thetomahawk.com/archives/old-timers-had-a-name-for-all-these-weather-changes/article_04f92377-8ca9-5bdd-97bd-92d2f5304231.html