Penny For Your Thoughts
By: Nancy Whitaker
A couple of weeks ago I was shopping in a store who was having a “Going out of Business Sale” In fact it was the last day they would be open and the store manager announced, “Everything left is now 25 cents.”
I made my way to get some quarter makeup and spotted a magazine that I loved as a kid. It was The Farmers Almanac. I thought ”Oh my! I’ll spend a quarter on that and see what they have to say about winter weather this year.”
I recall my grandparents buying this booklet every year and planned the seasons by reading The Farmers Almanac.
I flipped the booklet back to December 2024 weather forecast for Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Midwest According to The Farmers Almanac. It appears we here in Ohio are going to have some rain and wet snow with cold temperatures to follow; from Dec 8-11 there is to be cold temperatures; 12-15 Scattered snow showers; 16-19 forecasted is cloudy days, little precipitation and cold nights; 20-23 scattered showers; 24-27 is to be cold and dry with cold temperatures and a cold dry end to 2024.
Personally I love snow and the past few winters there really has not been any blizzards or big old snow storms.
Moving on…
Weather Lore by month from 2024 Farmers Almanac:
August…for each for in August, there will be a snowfall
September…The first snowfall will come six weeks after the last thunderstorm
October…A full moon in October with no frost means there won’t be another frost til November
November…If the leaves hadn’t fell from the trees by November 11, is a sign of a cold winter ahead
December…the nearer the new moon is to Christmas day indicates a cold winter.
The Farmers Almanac has a long history as The Old Farmers Almanac began printing in 1792 with The Farmers Almanac beginning in 1818. They were both weather forecasters but one forecast 18 months and another 16 months.
In 1942 a German spy was apprehended and the FBI discovered a Farmers Almanac in his pocket. It was thought the German spy was getting weather reports for German operations.
My almanac has recipes in it, flowers you can eat, how to dry fruit and make a garland, old sayings and so much more. I doubt if I eat any flowers but may make a dried fruit garland.
Do you remember The Farmers Almanac? How long have you been purchasing it? Do you believe their weather forecast?
Let me know and I will give you a Penny For Your Thoughts.
