Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-20
1T WILL BE OPEN WINTER
~ Least That's What the Gray
Boards Who Understand the Sisrs
fredict.

t-'TedICt.
!7rom around the comfortable stoves
Tnere the Elders gather in the evening
| tG discuss matters of state and eXpecto-
| / ate into the sawdust box comes the
sound of annual predictions. Listen, for
tie elders know the signs. It will be an
cnen winter.
| If the elders are highland who can
| doubt them when there is such unanimi-
| ty of opinon-then there will be no piling
| { lifts. and shrieking blizzards ard
| i"frequent SHOWS, and thaws and mild
| loss.
How do we know? We don't except as
W take the elders word for it, but they
know the signs-the little things which
W. do not observe and which tell the story
In plain and unmistakable language.
| 7 ney watch the birds and animals, for
tie birds and animals know it first.
The robins know it. They have been
slow going South. and in the sheltered
|r,aces where food is abundant YOU may
$ rprise a red breast yet. Most likely
t-ere will be half dozen of them, and
| { chances are that they are not intend
| rs to go South at all. When they plan
| t. do that it's sure sign of open WIN
tor for even the hardest robin couldn't
| survive severe winter. But in the open
winters even far up in the north woods
you will sometimes find a flock of them
| cheerily skrmishing for food
| And the squirrels-they haven't thought
it necessary to stuff their little store
houses with nuts and>achorns. Something
| tells them that they will not be housed
| up all winter long, but that there Will be
| Il mes when they can scury out in the
Sunshine and forage, so they have put in
! only Il moderate supply.
| And the woodpecker. the wise old red
| head, he knows that all his food Will not
| be covered up with snow. So you don't
hear his hollow tapping in the woods so
much as usual He is lazy, and he
doesn't like to tap-tap-tap and drill holes
in rotting wood unless It Is necessary r ar TO
lad nuts for winter food. Leastway
that's what the Elders say
| And the things that burrow. the ground
hog and the old skunk. Have they dug
deep and dragged much grass and leaves
| and moss down to keep them warm
Mercy no they have Just burrowed down
little way, ard let it go at that. They
expect to wander about these fine winter
evenings. You'll know about it some
| mild foggy night when the snow is
| s,lmping You'll pinch your nose and
say, "Phew. the skunk's are out, ana
| go down to see that the chickens are all
right.
not as thick as usual. that Reynard isn't
| nuttine on such thick coat as is often
| His wont. and since Br'er Fox needs to
keep warm on his midnight perambula-
| lions around the hen houses. it must be
| mat the weather will be mild.
| And thew say that the wind was south
J when the sun crossed the line, and when
! lie wind is warm and southerly at that
| important time it's sure sign of an
| open winter. And the coons haven't
| been in the cornfeds as~is their won't.
they're not preparing for ice and desola-
ton, a fact for which the farmer is
thankful.
Surely the signs are plentiful enough.
| and if these were not enough the Elders
| could enumerate more-signs from the
wild geese and ducks. the muskrat and
| the chickadees. So prepare for meagre
| noWs and an open winter. But don't
| think because the groundhog's hole is
shallow that you needn't put in the fall
supply of coal