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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The woolly bear prediction

Consider the humble woolly bear caterpillar. It is the larva of the Isabella moth, a rather nondescript moth which is common from northern Mexico right up to the southern half of Canada. Though the moth may go unnoticed, the caterpillars are pretty visible and they are one of the few caterpillars that most people can actually identify. Moreover, folklore imbues them with psychic abilities. They are said to be able to predict what kind of winter we will have. Will winter be mild or harsh? Look to the woolly bear, the believers say.

The typical woolly bear is black on both ends and has a strip of lighter brown in the middle. In fact, one of the common names of the caterpillar is "black-ended bear." The folk legend surrounding the caterpillar's meteorological prognostications says that the wider that lighter brown band is, the milder the winter the winter will be. A narrow band of brown predicts a harsh winter.

How then to interpret this visitor that I found on my front doorstep this morning?

No brown band at all!

Winter is coming, as all George R.R. Martin fans know. And if this little woolly bear is truly an omen of that winter, it may be a doozy!

10 comments:

  1. We better stack up the firewood! :-)

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    1. We just had two oak trees cut and have wood from them. Maybe we did it just in time!

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  2. SO interesting! I have a feeling it is going to be a really cold winter. Time to go get the frost cloth for the garden.

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    1. I bought extra frost cloth last year and never had occasion to use it, Steph. We'll see whether I get to break it out this winter.

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  3. Every one I`ve seen so far is solid black , too. :) So far the weather is dry and mild, but we will see. The Climate prediction center say above normal temps for winter. We will see who is right, The gov or the bear. :)

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    1. I'm delighted by woolly bears, but I can't say I put too much store in their "predictions." Time will tell!

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  4. Nature's signs are so interesting! I love the name woolly bear but this caterpillar is probably not one to touch.

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    1. I've never touched one but I imagine those short, stiff bristles of hair would not feel particularly pleasant on the skin.

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  5. Lord, I hope not. Last winter I got stuck in a blizzard on the highway while driving home. Not fun!

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    1. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you have a mild winter, Jason. I think you are due for one.

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