Ain’t he cute? Here in the mountains of Western North Carolina he’s a common critter and we call them wooly worms. They’re also known as wooly catepillars or wooly bears. As a kid, it was always fun to pick them up and let them crawl up and down your arm. Sure, the bristly hair would tickle but that was the fun part.

Old folklore has it that the harshness of the upcoming winter can be predicted by the color and size of their bands. According to legend, the Native American Indians taught the pioneers how to do this. Supposedly, if the brownish red bands are thin, then it’s going to be a harsh winter. But if the brownish red band mostly covers the middle, then it will be a mild season. Of course scientists consider this to be total hogwash, however there are those who claim an 85% success rate in predicting what lies ahead. But hey, just like letting them crawl on you for the fun of it, this kind of amateur prognostication can be fun too.

What many don’t realize is that the wooly worm is just a stage of development in the life of this critter. As a worm, it certainly is cute, but later on it turns into a beautiful Tiger Moth.

We actually have an annual Wooly Worm Festival here in the mountains where one lucky participant will win $1000.00 for correctly predicting what winter holds in store for us by using the wooly worm’s weather forecast. Now all I need to do is go out and start searching for one of my li’l buddies, and not only create my winning entry, but enjoy a little nostalgia as I let him crawl all over me. (“,)