Woolly Caterpillar 2012 Report

Last fall I posted on the theory that the severity of winter can be predicted based on the colour pattern of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Here's what the 2011 Woolly Bear looked like:

Woolly Bear Caterpillar c2011. Photo by Anita Mae Draper

 

 The Winter of 2011 was very mild. It started early with cold weather in Oct, and didn't seem to end until April, but the temp only dipped colder than -20C/-4F six times. And of those six, I don't recall any being extremely cold - like colder than -40C/F.

So what about the Winter of 2012? Here's what the Woolly Bear looked like when I took the photo this year (Oct 2012) :

Woolly Bear Caterpillar c2012. Photo by Anita Mae Draper

  

The band looks almost the same ratio as last year, however, he doesn't seem as woolly. In fact he's so sparse, I can see his skin especially around his head.

If you look at this poster, the least woolly caterpillar is the bottom one which is listed as a severe winter. Or is it the same, but only looks sparse because of the artist's rendering?

 

 

So I suppose we have 2 things to look out for - the band ratio as well as the woolly factor.

One other difference which you can't tell from the photos is that last year there were caterpillars everywhere! They were crawling up the walls outside as well as inside the garage. This year, I only saw one or two and none in the garage. Well, hubby did put a new door on the garage to keep my office warmer, but he hasn't finished the trim yet and there are still gaps where critters can get inside.

Finally, we saw a new type of woolly caterpillar this year. It's about 1 inch long (half the length of the Woolly Bear) and was sighted twice - both times this size. My research showed this as the Yellow Woolly Bear caterillar which will grow into a White Tiger Moth instead of the Brown Tiger Moth as above.

Yellow Woolly Bear Caterpillar c2012. Photo by Anita Mae Draper

Snow already fell in Oct 2012. Nov has been a mix of temps with the snow thawing and dripping but other days are brisk and cold creating dangerous walking and driving on the ice, and the white stuff is still here. Will it be a long, mild winter like last year, or a short severe one like 2010?

Thoughts?

ACFW Dallas 2012

I went to Dallas, Texas in Sept and although I didn't see much of the city itself, I really enjoyed my trip to the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference. I'm posting a day-by-day diary of my trip over on my writing blog and so far, have posted these days:

- Going to Dallas: Travelling from Regina to Dallas and my first impressions

- ACFW Dallas Wed: Meeting author friends and venturing away from the hotel

The following photos are different from the ones over on my Woven Under Western Skies writing blog, but if you want to see pics of the conference itself and my author friends, you should check it out.

Dawn breaks at 6:22 am Sep 19th, 2012 at the DFW airport in Dallas, TX.

 

Looking toward Dallas from my 8th floor room in the DFW Hyatt Regency.

 

Using the 700mm zoom on my Nikon Coolpix P500 camera, brings the Dallas skyline closer.

 

Anita Mae Draper standing in front of the Love & War in Texas restaurant in Grapevine, Texas, Sept 21, 2012

 

 

My Tejas Platter at Love & War in Texas comprised of a beef enchilada, cheese enchilda, handmade tamale and a soft flour taco, served with Texan Rice TM, refried beans, and pico de gallo. And oh my, what a treat. I was worried it was going to be too spicy, but not at all. I have to admit however, I've never had liquidied refried beans before.
And do you see that bottle of Root Beer? It tasted like A&W, but cost twice as much! 

 

 

I ignored the Krispy Kreme selection every morning, but I had to try one before I left the US just to see what all the hype was about. The Blueberry Krispy Kreme donut was good, but I've tasted many the same at Tim Hortons.

 

Keep watching the Recent Posts list at the top of the right column for updates on my trip to Texas.

 

 

Dragonfly Kiss

Look what I found on top of the van's antenna the other day...

Oh, kiss me, my darling...

 

 

 

 

Well, what do you think it's saying?

 

 

 

 

The Medicine Line Outdoor Show

It's history day at the Inkwell and I'm blogging about going to see the Theatre on the Hoof live Wild West Show, The Medicine Line back on July 1st.

I guess the hardest part was finding the venue because it's been almost 25 yrs since we lived in Moose Jaw, and my dear sweet husband knew the way and wasn't about to listen to my directions thinking that I was the one who'd forgotten. Right. And then he asked for directions from a convenience store clerk! Let's just say it was awhile before I found my voice.

The venue was the beautiful Wakamow Valley in what used to be the Wild Animal Park. It was a natural setting for the outdoor show, although I wished vehicles hadn't served as a backdrop for the stage. Kind of disconcerting to a history buff like me. But the recreators did an admirable job with the script.

The Mountie, the Chief, and the Metis discuss things before the show starts.
No, the Chief didn't wear sunglasses during the show.

I especialy liked the teepee making demonstration, as well as the Red River Cart demonstration - added bonuses to the program. Chataqua performances followed the Theatre on the Hoof show.

For more photos, as well as 2 videos - one of which is a funny outtake - please go to my Inkwell post.

The questions for discussion today are about outtakes - if you like them, or if you think they detract from the seriousness of a show.

Visit to Crystal in Vancouver

I've spent the past 2 weeks traveling down to a writing conference in California which started when I flew from Regina to Vancouver and stayed with Crystal overnight, and ended with another overnight stay with her on my way back. I have to admit, the Vancouver wildlife sure has grown since my last visit in the '80s.

Crystal Draper, Vancouver BC, July 2012

When Crystal said she lived downtown, I didn't realize she meant within blocks of BC Place, Science World, and the 2010 Olympic Village...

BC Place and Science World, Vancouver BC, July 2012

Several times, I took the CanTrain with Crystal, and was amazed the trains don't have individual drivers, but are controlled by a central control centre.

West of Vancouver is the Straight of Georgia, with the mountains on the east.

Crystal and I shared an evening walk along a rejuvenated False Creek.

BC Place, Vancouver BC, July 2012

Science World, Vancouver BC, July 2012

I enjoyed my time in Vancouver, Crystal. Thank you.