A Harsh Winter???

Little pieces of folk wisdom hit me at odd moments. In particular the change of season seems to be loaded with these pearls of wisdom (?). I often hear people commenting on the large amount of acorns on the ground and how the squirrels' coats seem especially thick. These are apparently indicative of very cold weather ahead. All this came to mind yesterday at the park. My sister and her husband were playing with Alice leaving me to concentrate solely on Angela, who quickly became a little bit bored on the playground. She had a go on all the park equipment I would allow her on, so I broke out the soccer ball. I thought she might enjoy a game on the field adjoining the playground. She liked it, but all the curious things around her soon became much more appealing. Our soccer game turned into a little nature walk.

I followed my bow-legged wonder as she chased leaves and just enjoyed the large expanse of lawn. Soon she discovered a walking path that was littered with acorns. For some reason, she was totally fascinated with them. Of course, this is also the child who is obsessed with vacuum cleaners. It is nice not having to expend too much time, energy or money to keep her happy. Anyhow, she quickly started to amass quite a collection of them. She darted back and forth from her gathering site to the picnic tables nearby where she carefully placed them on the table. As I followed her back and forth, I began to wonder: Is a toddler hording acorns a sign of a bitter winter? If so get your woolies organized. We are in for some rough weather.