Caterpillar's forecast for the winter

 
Several of you have asked about the upcoming winter and how bad will it be? Or will it be mild? We just don't know yet, but may have some insights in another month or so. But while Millie and I were hiking Wednesday morning, we came across this little guy. We've all seen them before, but I couldn't remember what it means if they have large brown stripes vs. smaller ones. It sounds like if the caterpillar has a large brown stripe, a mild winter is coming. If the brown strip is small, expect a harsh winter. But what about in this case? There wasn't a brown strip at all (and the picture doesn't show the black very well). Maybe that means no winter at all, but I've only seen one caterpillar.  There could be others out there that have a better prediction. It's just folklore after all, but fun to consider what might be ahead (unless of course you dread winter)

I know the Farmer's Almanac (as misleading as it can be sometimes) is calling for a rough winter, but let's wait and see what the next 45 days bring to Kansas. That might give us a better understanding of what could be coming. I think we are overdue for an ice storm, but Millie would prefer snow or rain over ice. I don't think she's alone.