San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-17
AN EARLY SPRING

Guessing at the weather, especialy
Texas weather. is poor and precarious
business at best. 1t is therefore, tamper-
ing with fate to even suggest that there
is probability that we may have
mild winter and an early spring. There
are MANY indications, not only in Texas,
but all over the United States, that such
NAV be the fact. but we would feel more
certain about the matter If IT was the
middle OF March.
However. dangerous the profession OF
prophesving, there are certain signs IN
various parts of the country that would
warrant almost anybody in believing that
the worst of the winter IS past.
1t is only few days since it was re-
ported from the shores of Delaware and
Chesapeake bays that the wild geese had
turned their bills northward and were
living in the direction of the north pole.
The wild goose is a wise old bird and
he seldom makes mistakes in his guesses
as TO the coming mean temperature OF
anv season. Whenever he is seen flying
south. it is a safe prediction that cold
weather is rustling his tail feathers. So
If is when he goes north. There may
be no very warm weather behind him,
but neither is there much cold weather
ahead OF him. Remembering these
things and recalling the fact that wild
geese do not usually pass north over
Chesapeake bay before the first of March,
there seems to be some probability that
the coolest part of the winter is gone.
: However, there are other portents be-
side the wild goose. It is announced that
frogs that have been alternating through
out the winter or rather that are sup
posed to be hiberrating, have found their
winter quarters too warm and have come
out into the open, as it were. In other
words, the frog is betting that there will
be no great amount. of cold weather
hereafter. Just what the frog knows
about weather, or anything else is mat
ter, for speculation on the part of such
people as may be interested, but anyway
the frog says he is not alternating any
more this winter.
Up in Wisconsin. it is announced that
strawberry plants have been poisoning
and up there they claim that the straw
berry knows what it is about. However
there has been some freezing weather
in Wisconsin since the strawberry blossoms
appeared, so that the strawberry does no
seem to be much OF a guide.
Down in this part of the world, there
have been seen flocks of robins flying
northward which does not generally hap
pen until the great majority of the colo
weather has passed into history. Some
times the robin gets fooled, but generally
speaking, he is fairly we'll posted on TEN
peratures and does not make many mis-
takes. As a usual thing, he is severa
weeks later than this in making his north
ward trip.
Then too. snakes have begun to com,
out. Already several have been seen anC
If the wather is cold, snakes continue t
hibernate. 1t is not reported that any
rattlers have been seen as yet, but larg
and small grass snakes have begun t.
make their appearance, and there is NJ
reason why a grass snake should no
know as much about weather as a rat
tier
Taken altogether, snakes, robins, will,
geese, frogs and strawberries. they form
strong combination and they all seen
to be voting the same way. 1t mus
also be remembered that there is n
recorded vote in favor of a protracte
cold weather. Up to the present tn
ayes" seem to have it in predicting tn
carly end of winter
--OO-
HEAD TThEN6U hTTJDnIJu