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HMM…..

September 10th, 2015

Where I lived in Ohio for many years there was a big Wooly Bear Festival. The wooly bear caterpillar signaled what kind of winter we were going to have (see more over at the Farmer’s Almanac), they were harbingers of what was to come. As a kid, we’d look high and low for them and compare notes as to what they were saying about the upcoming winter. Earlier this week I spotted an all blonde one in the garden and had to think about what exactly that meant. That means a mild winter, the middle of the wooly bear is supposed to signal the milder portion of winter, the dark brown the harsh parts.
Wooly Bear Caterpillar
Of course I’ve seen my share of regular ones too. It’s certainly not scientifically accurate, but it’s a great way to get young ones interested in nature and to help keep them from killing every insect they see.

What are the wooly bears in your garden telling you about this coming winter?

3 Comments to “HMM…..”
  1. Nebraska Dave on September 10, 2015 at 11:00 am

    Susy, I’ve never seen a single caterpillar in my gardens. I think if there were some, the wild turkeys would gobble them up. Every thing always seems to get pollinated but I don’t see many bees or butterflies either. I’m helping my cousin with her new job by walking her little dog twice a day until she gets settled into the position and helping a neighbor who still hasn’t recovered from eye surgery well enough to drive. Those two responsibilities plus helping my mother in law with errands and shopping has drastically reduced my garden time. It shows. Hopefully things will lighten up soon so I can get back to gardening.

    Have a great expecting a mild winter day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Wendy on September 11, 2015 at 12:39 am

    I always find these types of weather-/garden-predicting things interesting. If this little guy (https://instagram.com/p/7YyN4Jw63g/?taken-by=thimblenest) that I spotted yesterday is telling the truth, we’re in for a fairly mild winter!

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  3. katie on September 11, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    Greetings from NE OH! Dick Goddard has not said yet what our winter will be I hope it is mild!

    Reply to katie's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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