Oak before ash in for a splash?

So goes the old saying:

Oak before ash, in for a splash. Ash before oak, in for a soak.

In Cliff Ridge Woods the oak leaves look out to me but the ash buds are only just bursting, so clearly we’re in for just a splash and a dryish summer.

But as far as I know there is no truth in the old saying. Oak leaves are supposed to depend much more on temperature than ash which respond to hours of sunshine more but in view of the recent polar plume I can’t make sense of it.

Splash or soak either way we’re still likely to get wet this summer.

I’ve never noticed the small purple flowers of the ash before. Very delicate and pretty and must be a good early source of food for insects.