Woollybear

[Rammy]

Im in middle Tn and am seeing alot of all black woolyworms ( thats what we called them growing up). Tn isnt known for having bad winters but Ive noticed it seems to indicate the winter weather pretty good.
Other folklore indicators seem to be the amount of foggy mornings in August are suppose to tell how many snow storms the area will have.
If wasp nests are low or high is another. Same with squirrel nests I think. Walnut trees losing thier leaves at certain times are suppose to indicate how bad the winter may be also. Spider webs are suppose to tell, too.
Interesting.

 

[Britesea]

Without TV and such, people used to spend a lot more time observing the world around them. We owe them a huge debt for much of what we know today about the world we live in.

 

[baymule]

A hard winter here is snow. That usually hangs around 3 days and is gone. Ice makes it worse. Since we seldom have to fool with freezing temperatures for longer than a day or two at a time, we don’t have the heated water buckets and so on. So I haul boiling water to melt ice and water all the animals. For the horses and the steer, I’ll clean and fill the water tanks and then can just bust ice for them. A week of that and that’s usually all, but’s it’s enough!

We haven’t had snow for the past couple of winters, so we are due a cold winter. Sure makes me wish for a fireplace.

 

[baymule]

I would love that! All this firewood here and no wood burning stove or fireplace! We have a big lightening killed oak tree to take down this winter. I hate waste.

 

[farmerjan]

Have seen several in the last few days and all are at least 1/2 brown bands around the middle....yet it seems that the feelings are that we will have a hard winter since the last couple have been basically snowless.... a couple of 4 inch snows that only lasted a day or two and then melted.

 

[TexasLisa]

Baymule, I have noticed that people in the Houston area freak out when it rains. They treat it like snow.

 

[farmerjan]

Probably get all prepared for the winter and have it not be a bad one again.... but rather prepared than not....

 

[baymule]

Y'all gotta remember this heah is TEXAS. Our wooly bears took off their fur coats for the winter.

 

[CrealCritter]

They are pretty equal on widths here. I see a few every day.

Equal widths brown and black means mild winter according to the folklore

 

[TexasLisa]

CrealCritter, I haven't seen a persimmon tree since I left Indiana. I LOVE persimmons. It just tickles me when people say persimmons are not fit for consumption but is raccoon and possum food.