[Body]
Well, howdy there! Let’s talk about this… whatchamacallit… 1682 Chinese zodiac thingy. I ain’t no scholar, mind you, just an old woman who’s seen a thing or two. But I’ll tell ya what I know, or what I heard from my grandma, bless her soul.

So, they say 1682, that was the year of the dog. Not just any dog, mind you, a Black Water Dog. Sounds kinda fancy, doesn’t it? Like somethin’ you’d find in a muddy puddle after a big rain. They say the Chinese New Year back then started on February 7th. Imagine that, a whole different time to celebrate!
Now, I don’t know much about these zodiac critters, but they got a whole bunch of ’em. Let’s see, there’s the rat, always scurrying around, the ox, big and strong, the tiger, fierce and stripy, the rabbit, hoppin’ and twitchin’ its nose, the dragon, all fire and fury, the snake, slitherin’ on its belly, the horse, runnin’ like the wind, the sheep, gentle and woolly, the monkey, always playin’ tricks, the rooster, crowin’ at the crack of dawn, and the pig, happy as a pig in… well, you know. And of course, the dog, loyal and true.
This year, 2024, they say it’s the year of the dragon. Started on February 10th, I heard. Seems like these dragon years are a big deal. They say people born in dragon years are clever and full of ideas. Always gotta be doin’ somethin’, like my nephew Billy, always tinkerin’ with his contraptions. Can’t sit still for a minute, that one.
- Rat: Sneaky little fellas.
- Ox: Strong and steady, like my old mule Bessie.
- Tiger: Don’t wanna mess with them!
- Rabbit: Cute and fluffy, but quick as a whip.
- Dragon: Powerful and lucky, they say.
- Snake: Wise and mysterious.
- Horse: Free-spirited and wild.
- Sheep: Kind and gentle.
- Monkey: Playful and mischievous.
- Rooster: Loud and proud.
- Dog: Loyal and protective.
- Pig: Happy-go-lucky.
Now, back in 1681, the year before our dog year, it was the year of the rooster. Started on February 18th. My grandpa used to say roosters were good luck, always crowin’ before the sun came up, chasin’ away the bad spirits. He had a whole coop full of them, noisy fellas they were.
They also talk about somethin’ called “wood dragon” years. Folks born in those years, like 1964 and this year too, they’re supposed to be real creative. Always thinkin’ up new things. My granddaughter, she’s always drawing pictures, makin’ up stories, just like a wood dragon, I guess.
I ain’t sure what all this means for folks born in 1682, the year of the Black Water Dog. But I reckon they were probably good folks, hard-working and loyal, just like a good dog should be. Maybe they liked to swim, bein’ water dogs and all. Or maybe they just liked to splash in puddles, like I did when I was a young’un. Who knows?

These zodiac things, they’re just stories, I reckon. But they’re fun to think about, ain’t they? Makes you wonder what kinda person you woulda been if you were born in a different year. Maybe I woulda been a fierce tiger, or a wise old snake. But I’m happy bein’ just me, an old woman who’s seen a lot of life and learned a thing or two along the way. And that’s all there is to it.
So there you have it, my two cents on the 1682 Chinese zodiac. Ain’t much, but it’s honest. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go feed my chickens. Them roosters are gettin’ mighty restless.
Tags: [1682 Chinese zodiac, Black Water Dog, Chinese New Year, 1681, Year of the Rooster, Year of the Dragon, Wood Dragon, Chinese zodiac animals]