reading the signs...

reading the signs
photo by Lee Keefer

This is a woolly bear caterpillar.
According to Dr. Curran one can perhaps
predict the coming winter weather.

This caterpillar has 13 distinct segments
of black and reddish brown.
The wider the middle brown section is,
according to legend, the milder the winter will be.
Actually, according to Mike Peters, an entomologist,
there may be a link between between
winter severity and the brown band of the woolly
bear caterpillar... but of the past winter,
not the upcoming one.

Predicting the weather through signs,
usually the sky,
was a common practice during the time of Jesus.

“You know how to interpret
the appearance of the sky,
but you cannot interpret
the signs of the times.
A wicked and adulterous generation
looks for a miraculous sign,
but none will be given it
except the sign of Jonah.”
- Jesus (Matthew 16:3,4 NIV)