Posted on 10/17/2016 6:56:11 PM PDT by Daffynition
Glazer-woolly worm.jpg The expression on Mike Glazer's face shows what he thinks of the severe winter predicted by the woolly worms in Lewisburg Saturday, (John Beauge, for PennLive) Print Email John Beauge | Special to PennLive By John Beauge | Special to PennLive on October 16, 2016 at 7:32 AM, updated October 17, 2016 at 11:34 AM
LEWISBURG -- It was a winter forecast that brought a roar of approval from youngsters at the 20th annual Woolly Worm Festival.
"It's going to be terrible," event founder Mike Glazer said under his breath Saturday as he looked at the information provided him by the eight judges who examined four caterpillars.
He then read the winter forecast to a crowd in Hufnagle Park in downtown Lewisburg:
"The winter will come on slowly," he said. December will not be bad but "once January and February hit its going to be severe.
(Excerpt) Read more at pennlive.com ...
[In case someone doesn't know what twin fawn look like]
White woollies are supposed to mean heavier amounts of snow.
I remember looking at wooly worms to see if we’d get a bad winter when I was a kid, but I don’t put a lot of store in that as an adult. Some of the old folk wisdom that older farmers still adhere to, now that I still give some credence. The assumption behind these beliefs is that nature provides for its own, so if a bad winter is coming, mast will be heavy to feed wild animals, acorns and wild nuts of many kinds will be much heavier than usual. Along those same lines, coats of wild animals will be noticeably heavier, squirrels will have bushier tails, etc.
Found a wooly worm in the parking lot when I went to pick up my daughter from volunteer work. Made her hold it as I drove home - lots of fun that...
Anyway I was explaining to her the wives tale of colors and coats and what it would mean for the winter. She looked at me and said why would people doubt what generations of experience have said?
Proud papa....of course I explained how a scientific study hadn’t been done completed to confirm the information statistically and she was like - ok I get it but still.... I said you need a project this year - she said oh hell I’m not putting my name on that no way....
: )
It’s just a different kind of moth larvae.
All of this is bogus.
:)
LOL! I’ll be glad to not have too much snow this year.
(Your pics are always lovely.)
-JT
Snow depth can be predicted by how high bees make their hives in the brush. Another indicator for a cold winter are wild cucumber vines. The greater the number, the colder the winter.
Seems like a huge number of wooly worms this year. They are all over the road. Also a huge number of acorns, the squirrels are going ballistic on them. I have no idea what that means as far as the severity of winter.
Freegards
True; some swear by the predictions of the Olde Farmers Almanac.
Our old neighbor on the island used to have a ton of Yankee-truisms...The only one I can remember is charming ... :
**When the apple leaves are as big as mouse’s ears, the black fish are biting off Kelsey Point.**
You should write a book.
We have lots of acorns in Maryland, too. And they’re Heavy! I don’t remember hearing them fall on the roof of the car like absolute stones, the way they’re doing this year.
At dinner tonight, we were reminiscing about the Halloween snow storm we had a few years ago; a 'Frankenstorm' ...very cold, two feet of snow and no power; Trick-or-treating was postponed. Not a fun time.
Hopefully it will be mild; I saw home heating oil, for sale in New Hampshire for $1.68/gal, which seems pretty cheap. I have gas, and don't pay much attention to heating oil prices.
Virginia here. There is no way I could walk barefoot outside. The thick jagged acorn hulls split by the squirrels would rip the soles of my feet up if I tried it.
Freegards
I can’t recall having snow that early, in this area.
But I do remember miserable Hallowe’ens, when we were made to were coats over, or sweaters under, our wonderful costumes, to go trick or treating. It messed-up my Princess or Witch costume, and was always a bummer.
I always wish a mild Hallowe’en for the kids; even though, these days, not many go out anymore :-(
-JT
I smoosh a few on the road everyday.
They always look very red to me.
I never realized that these guys freeze solid over the Winter; they survive because they’ve got ‘antifreeze’:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrharctia_isabella
“acorn drops” - not here in south Jersey - many fewer than usual - of course we had an unusually high number last year and it was a fairly warm winter - first time I ever had to run the AC on Christmas eve - so who knows......
“acorn drops” - not here in south Jersey - many fewer than usual - of course we had an unusually high number last year and it was a fairly warm winter - first time I ever had to run the AC on Christmas eve - so who knows......
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