Some of the younger generations tend to think the "sayings" of the old-timers are nothing but myth. After all, they snicker, the old-timers didn't know then what we know now. Science has progressed where we now know that anyone over 50 must believe the world is flat. Right? Wrong!
It's amazing how many of the old sayings have been proven to have some wisdom behind them. I'd like to share some of the things I learned from my grandmother's generation, and I challenge you to try them out and keep track of the results. I think you'll be surprised how many times the "old saying" proves to be correct.
1. This is one I learned from an old Cherokee. If you notice leaves on the trees are upside down, so the bottom of the leaves are showing, it's getting ready to rain. (It will be very notable if you look at the tops of the trees. They'll look like they have a light green frosting on the top.)
2. Another old Cherokee saying: If the moon is a bowl full of milk, if the "bowl" is tipped causing the milk to spill out, it indicates rain. How much it's tipped tells how much rain is coming.
3. Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Means if the sky is red in the morning, a storm is on the way.
4. If you see a sundog, it's getting ready to storm. I remember being at the pool one day when I heard everyone oooing and ahhing. I looked to see what had grabbed everyone's attention and it was one of the prettiest sundog I've ever seen. I immediately hollered at my kids to get out of the pool, get our stuff gathered up because it was getting ready to storm. A man in the pool started laughing at me. "It's not going to storm," he kinda sneered at me. "There isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun's shining." By the time the kids and I got to the car, the lightening started flashing and the storm started. My kids were in the car safe and the poor tourist was left scrambling, trying to get his kids out of the pool and inside where it was safe.
5. A man who will lie to you, will steal from you. (When my grandfather told me this, I didn't believe it. Over the years I've found it to be true.)
6. Three months after the first katydid chirps on a summer night, expect the first killing frost of the season.
7. If the hoot owls call late in autumn, it's a sign there's going to be a bad winter. Unless you're Cherokee…then hearing a hoot owl means you better hide quickly because the Indian doctor has turned himself into an owl and is stalking you.
8. If the wooly worms are black instead of brown and russet striped, it's going to be a bad winter with snow.
9 If the weeds are really high in the summer, it indicates a really deep snow in the winter.
10. If it rains on Easter Sunday, it will rain every Sunday for seven weeks.
11. If the oak trees keep their leaves on during the winter, it's said they're leaving their coats on preparing for a big snow.
12. If snow lays on the ground for more than 5 days, it's waiting for a big snow.
13. Very large crops of pine cones, acorns, or persimmons are an indication it's going to be a bad winter.
14. A little planting advise from the old-timers. If you're planting root crops, they have to be planted in the dark of the moon. Other crops must be planted in the light of the moon. I promise you this is true.
15. If you see a field and all the cows are laying down, don't bother going fishing. The fish won't bite.
16. And if the ears of my Maine Coon Cat lay back against his head and his tail starts doing a fast twitch, my leg or arm is getting ready to bleed from being bitten. Never mind. That's another story…….
