It’s winter, and often the world around us is white with snow and ice. Many animals completely change their coloring during winter, a way to protect
them from predators, or make it easier for them to sneak up on their own prey. Also, winter is a time when animals adapt in other ways to live more successfully in their environment.

As we approach the mid-winter mark, here are a few more interesting facts about what is going on in the …

Today’s quote is one that I have read and reread. The word Awful has a certain connotation to those who speak the English language, and yet, if
you break down the word, doesn’t it mean full of Awe? Isn’t Awe a good thing? How did the word Awful became distorted to mean something terrible, even disastrous?

In fact, when I check the dictionary, I find that the second and third meanings of Awful are ‘commanding awe’ and ‘full of awe’. Yet …

Thanks to Discovery News for this latest update about one of the strangest creatures on the planet – and one we know little about – the giant squid.

“The recent unprecedented video footage of a giant squid filmed in its deep ocean habitat has renewed interest in the enormous — and yet still mysterious — species.

“It’s believed that giant squid (genus Architeuthis) can grow up to 55 feet long. The individual captured on video via a small submarine located in the North Pacific Ocean …

If you’re like me, sometimes, on a cold winter day, I just want to ‘hibernate’ – to stay in my warm bed and let the world go on without me. Can you imagine doing that for four to six months of every year? In today’s post, discussion turns to many animals who prefer hibernation rather than a miserable winter of food shortages and freezing weather.

Found this great thought today. Although I can’t say I’ve camped in the ‘wild’ which this writer may have in mind, I’ve done my share of camping. I’ve experienced the sense
of wonder, excitement tinged with fear, and the thrill of a campfire as it chases away – and makes – the shadows. There is something internal in humans requiring an occasional
campfire. Electric lights don’t do it!

See if today’s quote evokes any special memories!
…

Expect to smile, expect to snicker. Today’s post is full of tidbits provided by the Farmers’ Almanac. Enjoy!

If your feet start to itch for no apparent reason, you’ll soon start a journey to a new place.

“If you can’t be kind, at least be vague.” –Judith Martin, American columnist, “Miss Manners”

A dream of clear water foretells happiness.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” –Martin Luther …

Why is the stillness of winter so complete?
At no other time of the year is there such silence in nature.All other seasons of the year animals make their presence known, no matter what time of day or night it is.
Not true in winter.

I walk outside, in the woods or even in my neighborhood, with the sun beaming down through the chill air. Silence.
No birds twitter, no dogs bark.
Just me, and the silence.

…

Yup – there he is – another furry gray body with a rat’s tail, mashed on the road. Mr. Opossum. I’m curious about him. Rarely do I see one alive. Instead, they’re all dead
on the road. Is there something about ‘possums that makes them more likely to be ‘roadkill’ than other species?

I found the following information in the 2013 Farmers’ Almanac in an article titled, “Mother Nature’s Janitor.” I was surprised to learn that:

• An …

While searching for a quote that spoke to me for today’s post, I ran across a couple of entries in the 2013 Farmers’ Almanac. I wanted to share these with you. So often we
forget how very much things have changed in our country over the past one hundred years.

The Industrial Revolution changed everything, drawing farmers’ into the cities from the fields, offering jobs for people who had always lived in the country. Granted, those jobs often paid little,
…

It’s easy for me to assume that because I am snug and warm inside my house, all of God’s creatures feel the same. Not so. However, those creatures which are out and about
in winter often have adaptations allowing them to find food, stay warm and thrive.
 
Here’s some info tidbits about various animals who thrive in winter.

Boys’Club – Mountain sheep finish mating in late December to early January. Males then leave the females and …