Old Farmers and Old Wives Tales

[Texas SpeedDiva]

Spent the weekend up at the family farm west of Waco. Weather was really nice. And the breeze had that nice underlying coolness to it that you feel at the beginnning of fall.

We'd been discussing how many acorns there are in the trees and on the ground this years as opposed to the last couple. I know the "experts" keep saying that we are supposed to have a mild winter, but the old coots hanging out at the tractor show were discussing the fact they are going to be having a hard winter this year. We went into a hunting outlet store and were talking to the ladies who work there and they were saying that heavy coats are selling better than the hunting gear. And that due to the rainy spring/summer, all the acorns and a couple other things that the old timers are saying it's going to be a cold/hard winter in the central Texas area. Don't know if any of that will filter down to us, but thought it was interesting that the old farmers and old wives are in disagreement with the "experts"

[ticka1]

I have an aunt that is 90 years old this year - got her talking about old wives tales and etc regarding the weather. She said they had several things - mostly watching the farm animals and how they acted and what type of coats they put on after summertime really forecasted their winter.

I love to read the farmer's almanac - my mother has planted by this book since she was a girl - she is now in her mid 70's. She always has great gardens - uses the moon signs to plant by per the almanac.

I'll see if I can find more online to post here - needless to say I always find them interesting .....

[Texas SpeedDiva]

I'm with you Ticka. I love this stuff and when I've planted a garden I've gone by the Almanac. I've loved listening to my grandparents and great-aunts (espcially the one who will be 102 on Oct 2 talk about the weather)

Here are some. I underlined some that I've noticed here thus far this year. I know it's probably grasping at straws, but..... Anyone else have any more?

Excessive acorns are seen by some as a sign of a harsh winter ahead.

It will be a bad winter if:
hornets and yellow jacket their nest heavier.
an ant builds it hill high.
crickets are in the chimney.
there are a lot of spiders, and black bugs about in the fall.
The woolly worm tell of a bad winter if:
there are a lot of them crawling about.
he has a heavy coat.
you see him crawling before the first frost.
if he's brown at both ends and orange in the middle, the winter will be mild.
if he’s black in the front, the bad weather is coming.

It will be a bad winter if:

hogs gather sticks, straw, to make a bed.
squirrels begin gathering nuts in September.
birds eat up all the berries early.
juncos are feeding in the trees.
birds huddle on the ground.
muskrat houses are built big.
beaver lodges have more logs.
the north side of a beaver dam is more covered with sticks.
squirrels' tails grow bushier. (gotta check on this with the squirrels in the yard)
fur or hair on animals such as horses, sheep, mules, cows, and dogs is thicker than usual.
squirrels build nest low in trees.
crows gather together.
hoot owls call late in the fall.
screech owls sound like women crying.

Forecasting Winter by Weather
Two frosts and lots of rain mean cold weather is near.
A late frost means a bad winter. (does the snow in April count?)
For ever frost or fog in August, there will be a snow day in winter.
At least three severe fogs in June or July mean early snow.
If it snows crosslegged, it will be a deep one.
If the first snow stays n the ground for three days, another snow will come top it.
If it frosts before November 21, it will be a bad winter.
Lots of low rolling thnder in the late fall means a bad winter.
A long hot summer means a long cold winter.

[BaytownWeatherWatcher]

The squirrels around my house have been busy. And my outside cats are getting more fur. I've seen a lot more spiders lately. Also, the leaves started falling much earlier this year. They cover the lawn quickly after I mow. That reminds me, the grass isn't growing as fast as it was a month ago. I can go 2 weeks without mowing. During the summer, I have to mow twice a week. Now, I mow basically to keep mulching the leaves.