Winter Predictions From My Crystal Ball

Today was lovely--in a wet kind of way.   The rain came and soaked down near-perfect autumn leaves.


I have watched autumns come and autumns go, and this has been one of the prettiest in a while.  I admit, sometimes nature consumes me, and this year has certainly grabbed my interest. I make mental notes, daily, driving to and from work. I always mean to write them down--they seem so profound, so important as the notes roll through my mind.


Ha! But here I sit, without a single note on paper...trying to conjure up something worth reading.


So...I travel back-roads out to the four-lanes as I make my way to work.  Today, as I passed crimson sumac and Ash trees that looked like they glowed gold beneath purple leaves, I thought about my grandmother driving a horse and buggy to church out at St. Johns.  Down across the log bridge that crossed our tiny "crick", out the lower lane to Smith Road--where the Smiths lived--you know where the fellas all played cards and drank local made hard-stuff. I hear, as the old timers used to say, that hard stuff will make you drink a glass of fresh ground horseradish on a dare...and then nearly die.

Ugh, tangent...sorry, then grandma made her way up out of Rough Run hollow to the church a few miles away. 

One more tidbit, always grind your horseradish in a month that contains the letter "r".


Tangent done.

I know...I know...I write fiction.  But, really, my grandma driving a horse and buggy to church?  Straight goods.  My dad was 40 years old when I was born, and his mom was near 40 when he was born, and I am ...yea...I am over 40 now <by 11 years>.  Did I just write that out loud? I thought I was just thinking it ;-)


I reckon that my grandma was rather consumed by nature as well.  The weather, the timing of the first frost, or the last snow must have played heavily on her world.


But, in my world, not so much out of necessity, but more so out of just a love of wondering about things that defy an explanation or an understanding...let alone any kind of predictable schedule.  And the timing of "visual" autumn is very much like that.


Which lead me to wonder about the old folklore...or as I like to put it, "The old timers used to say...". But even with all of my wondering, I have rarely thought to set down the words so I could check on them after a season has passed to see just how true their lore rings.


Winter was --and out here in the country, in the farming part of the world still is, the season that garnered so much speculation, and had so many natural predictors.

I am setting down some words, my prediction for this winter, based solely upon folklore...or the crystal ball I keep hidden for just such tasks.


The hornet's nests are high...so deep snow will abound.


The nut trees are loaded, the butternut tree behind the house is grand central station to the squirrels right now.  A hard winter ahead.  Nature takes care of its own.


The wooly-bears are mighty black with very narrow brown ends on them. Mild start, long cold winter, then a late mild spring.


The apple trees, the hawthorns and even the wild grasses produced abundantly.  Long winter.


Tough apple skins, cold winter--yes, they are tough.


So, my prediction is...there will be a winter :-)

Winter will be a great time to catch up on writing, do some x-country skiing, and plan what will go in my garden after that late, mild, spring :-)


Other than that, a writing catch-up. I am pushing to finish to Aaydan's Tale. I hope to get that off my desk in time to participate, first time ever, in NaNoWriMo (NationalNovelWritingMonth).  I just signed up for it this evening. Woohoo! For any writers who are interested in a fun challenge and an opportunity to network with other writers, check here: 


National Novel Writing Month


It is free and a great learning experience--from all I have gathered from past participants. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in November.  The focus is on output!  No emphasis placed on editing.  The idea is to write, write, write...


On a personal note, my husband is having surgery first thing in the morning, so if I am scarce for a while...that will have a lot to do with it.


My crystal ball shows, editing, writing, and then shoveling snow.


What does your crystal ball show?