Banded WoollyBear caterpillars Linda Traxler, October 5, 2021
I want to solve the “old wives tale” about the black and orange caterpillars. I am volunteering at the Sandy Library- Friends of the Library now. My job is to clean children’s books and ready them for sale. Imagine that, being a lover of children’s books, the books might make the shelf or will I be bringing home more great books for the collection? I am trying to keep my “hands in my pockets”. However, my very first time at the job I found a wonderful illustrated book, “Fun with Nature: take-along guide”. Needless to say, my first purchase, $2.00.
Here’s the thing, (I think I have talked of this before) my Gramma B. told us kids that the caterpillar tells us of the possible winters. Now I see this quote from the book: “some people say the woollybear can forecast the weather. The more black it has, legend says, the colder the winter will be. But scientists say it grows less black as it gets older. So a woollybear with more black is really just a younger caterpillar.”
I drew a picture of it in my journal last year with the size of the black and orange and I don’t think we had any colder of a winter. So I might agree with the scientists.
However, as I am walking through our yard these days I am seeing soooooo many of them that I am leaning on the possible that there will be a change of some kind. I am going to make note in my journal and watch the weather and winter unfold. You never know, maybe it is the thought that they are saving up for some kind of different winter. And just so you know, I also save them on the road. When I am walking I continue to rescue them from the hard surface and toss them into the grasses! Just my thing. I know I am strange. “Gotta love me!” Don’t ask me about the worms in the spring!
I do continue to get my walks in and am enjoying the fall season. Larry and I are fishing- not catching so much- but are on the river anyway. Tomorrow I am going to the local grands to make applesauce with them. I am heading to Everett on Thursday to spend some days with two of our grands there. I will be taking the train and I know this is a good time for the fall to be showing its colors on the track. Sunday we may have our 6th granddaughter visiting us. I will get my fix in with our joys. All our family is doing well, working too hard but hey, someone has to do it.
Hope this finds you well and please know I think of you often.
