Wooly Bear

     It's wooly bear time.  

I don't remember seeing any last fall, but there have been several crawling around the garden the past few weeks.

I'm usually hesitant to pick up insects, but there is something irresistible about these furry guys.  Their tiny feet tickle.  They roll into nice little balls. 

     Folklore posits the severity of the coming winter can be predicted by the length of the caterpillar's light brown middle; the longer the middle, the milder the winter.  

I think that's good news for us this year.