09-19-2003, 12:19 PM
Animals can teach us a great many things about the outdoors, Chad. Afterall, they live, and survive, there while we have to contend with a heating bill and power outages. I've only been really, really watching animals for a few years so I'm still fairly new to this, but learning quick and what I've learned has totally blown me away.
For example. Ants are extremely busy right now, stocking up on food for the winter, several months early. The grasshoppers have disappeared, winter birds are starting to appear and summer birds are flying south. Here in Brighton (northeast of Denver), we have nesting bald eagles at Barr Lake State Wildlife Area and they are extremely busy. The deer herd is bulking up, the foxes and coyotes are busy and every furry critter is getting their winter coats on. Now, ask the weatherman to predict his version of a winter, and he'll be wrong. Even the few beaver ponds we have at higher elevations are showing increased winter activity as they too prepare months early for something we only take for granted, a secure winter home.
I can't explain it, and I doubt any scientist can either (except with ego). It just happens. I've read the supposed "expert" reasons for the change in weather; El-Nino, shift of the magnetic North Pole, debris in the air from burning, solar flares, etc, etc, etc. And I consider all of it horse pucky (a lot of horse pucky). They are good at telling us when a new full moon will be, when Mars will be closest to earth and marginally accurate at fishing tables but ask them for a firm prediction for a week from now, and they start guessing. My predictions, on the other hand, are 100%, right-on-the-money, every time. When my feet hit the floor in the morning and it's cold, it was cold the night before. Period.
I don't want to make light of this subject, but this winter will have a tremendous impact on a lot of people less fortunate than us. And our duly elected officials will only cluck their
s and say "I'll look into it in the Spring." All the time while they're snug as a bug in a rug on taxpayer dollars. But that is another subject best left to another board.
[signature]
For example. Ants are extremely busy right now, stocking up on food for the winter, several months early. The grasshoppers have disappeared, winter birds are starting to appear and summer birds are flying south. Here in Brighton (northeast of Denver), we have nesting bald eagles at Barr Lake State Wildlife Area and they are extremely busy. The deer herd is bulking up, the foxes and coyotes are busy and every furry critter is getting their winter coats on. Now, ask the weatherman to predict his version of a winter, and he'll be wrong. Even the few beaver ponds we have at higher elevations are showing increased winter activity as they too prepare months early for something we only take for granted, a secure winter home.
I can't explain it, and I doubt any scientist can either (except with ego). It just happens. I've read the supposed "expert" reasons for the change in weather; El-Nino, shift of the magnetic North Pole, debris in the air from burning, solar flares, etc, etc, etc. And I consider all of it horse pucky (a lot of horse pucky). They are good at telling us when a new full moon will be, when Mars will be closest to earth and marginally accurate at fishing tables but ask them for a firm prediction for a week from now, and they start guessing. My predictions, on the other hand, are 100%, right-on-the-money, every time. When my feet hit the floor in the morning and it's cold, it was cold the night before. Period.
I don't want to make light of this subject, but this winter will have a tremendous impact on a lot of people less fortunate than us. And our duly elected officials will only cluck their
s and say "I'll look into it in the Spring." All the time while they're snug as a bug in a rug on taxpayer dollars. But that is another subject best left to another board.[signature]