To George Walters

What do  you make of this fine weather we are experiencing this year? As a homesteader I have found it mighty hard to garden & cut my wood for winter.

As I have wandered about this week when it wasn’t raining I noticed there is not a pine cone on any trees on my property. From your past experiences do you know what this would mean?

I used to hear if they cones were high up on the tree the snow would be high, if they were low then snow was not deep that year.
Not seeing any cones I was wondering if we would have any snow or not.

Thank you for any information

Reply:

Hi there , nice to hear from you. Yep I noticed that too.  One thing you got to keep an eye on is if you happen to have an over amount of red squirrels.  If so they clean them up and put them in piles at the base of trees or in the crook of trees.  Usually the squirrels are the ones that knock them to the ground.  Other than that they stay on the tree until the hot sun breaks them open so they can spread the seeds inside of them.  If for example  farmers had a great crops  that meant a long cold winter as nature knows and wants to make sure every one eats. My wife put up 70 quart jars of tomatoes and lots of other things in the freezer this year in-spite of the not so good summer.   The coats on the deer are a wee bit heavier than normal this year so one would figure that that is another sign they are getting ready.  The pine cones as you say have been gathered up and put away for winter by birds, squirrels and chipmunks so that is another sign.  If there is any they will be up high on the very tops.  The leaves on the trees were also very full this year which is another sign of a not so good winter. So………… hard year to tell but a few signs does say we should be putting in a wee bit more firewood in the basement or where it is easy to get at.  I would also think we might get some snow this year do to the fact there is so much moisture in the soil and things.  I know you are right about the wood being so hard to keep dry this year and last year also.  Two years ago I bit the bullet and built a lean to to put my wood under. Just got fed up with it being wet all the time. Tarps seemed to make it worse.  I have never been happier now that I got it built.  They aren’t that expensive to build either, mine holds around 20 split face cords and cost around 400 all total roof and all.  Although I put plywood for a roof and then cheated by staining the plywood and laying a tarp over the top of that, for now any-ways. So far so good.  Some day I will get energetic and put up some shingles or something.   Maybe.  Well you take care, gloomy old day out there again this morning.  Guess I will plant the rest of my garlic got half of it in had to go and pick up some more as run out.  Take care George