Woolly Bear on a Stick

It's the season for caterpillars. We notice them everywhere! We are especially fond of the woolly bear caterpillar with its spikey fuzz. This little bug eventually morphs into the Isabella tiger moth and is best known for its legendary ability to predict the harshness of the upcoming winter by the size of its brown midsection. Less brown means a harsh winter; more brown means mild.  We learned about this old-time farmer factoid from the Farmer's Almanac. Makes us want to go out caterpillar hunting and see what the other woolly bears bristles are telling us about the upcoming winter.

For more info on this cute little bug, check out this nice link by the Buglady over at the University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee).  

http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/naturalhistory/bugoftheweek/woolly_bear.cfm

Oh woolly bear, woolly bear––

What do you know?

Will winter make us weary

of ice and snow?

Or do the brown bristles

of your fuzzy back

fortell mild days

for play outside our shack?

by pbird at Hawks Nest