Folklore.Breckinridge.HISTORY-OtherFrom: KyArchives [Archives@genrecords.org]
Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 5:01 PM
To: Ky-Footsteps
Subject: Folklore.Breckinridge.HISTORY-Other


Folklore  
Breckinridge County KyArchives History Other 
Book Title: A Glimpse Of The Past 
For thousands of years hunters, fishermen, shepherds and farmers have noticed 
how the activities of animals change with changing weather approaching hours 
before humans know what is happening. 
Weather prophets get their clues from the sky, the activities of the birds, 
insects, trees, flowers, dew, animals, crickets, aching bones, and many other 
indicators. 
The weather folklore has been handed down from the early settlers, sailors and 
Indians. 
An old Chinese saying is: "Rainbow in the eastern sky, tomorrow will be dry; 
rainbow in the west tha gleams, rains fall in the streams." 
Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short.  When the dew is on the 
grass, rain will not come to pass.  When grass is dry in morning light look for 
rain before night. 
"Wind in the west, weather at its best; a wind in the south, rain in her mouth; 
when the wind is from the east, neight is good for man nor beast." 
Many of you may know the poem "Evening red, morning gray, sets the travelers on 
his way.  Evening gray, morning red, brings rain down on his head." 
The unusual behavioral pattern of farm animals can be observed as an indication 
of the coming of changing weather.  CAttle and horses will bunch together 
before a storm.  The cattle will sometimes come to the barn or go to the woods. 
If cows lie down early in the morning, it is supposed to rain before night. 
Hogs will pile up corn shucks or anything handy, before a rain or storm.  When 
they lie in mud, there is no chance of rain. 
Birds on the barn roof indicate a storm is brewing.  Many species of birds fly 
low to the groudn before a storm.  The air pressure lowers before a storm, and 
since birds have sensitive ears, the lowering of air pressure hurts their 
ears.  Geese, sea gulls, crows and robins do not like to fly at all before a 
storm.  Robins will stay close to their nest. 
If a crow hollers in the morning, it is supposed to rain by night.  The hooting 
of an owl in afternoon foretells rain in the afternoon. 
"When spiders weave their webs by noon, fine weather is coming soon.  Spider 
webs floating at autumn sun set bring a night frost.  Expect stormy weather 
when ants travel in lines and fair weather they scatter.  An open ant hole 
indicates clear weather, a closed one, and an approaching storm.  A fly on your 
nose you slap and it goes if it comes back again, it will bring a good rain. 
The woolly worm, that famous fickle forecaster, is a popular fellow at the 
beginning of the winter season.  The woolly worm has mystified many weather 
experts.  According to the old weather prophet, the amount of brown on the 
worm's middle fortells the severity of the coming winter.  The wider the middle 
band, the milder the winter.  Many say the thicker the worm, the harder the 
winter. 
The budding of trees is an indication of what the planting season will yield.  
There will be a normal growing season when the oak tree buds before the ash. 
If the cornhusks or onionskin's are thicker and tougher than usual, a rough 
winter is expected. 
Submitted by: Dana Brown 
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00005.html#0001067 



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